PHILADELPHIA has its first direct service from India after Mediterranean Shipping Co added the port to its weekly Indus 2 service to the US East Coast, according to IHS Media
PHILADELPHIA has its first direct service from India after Mediterranean Shipping Co added the port to its weekly Indus 2 service to the US East Coast, according to IHS Media. The new rotation comes as MSC adds to its presence in the world's second-most populous country. The first vessel in the new Indus 2 rotation, the 6,730 TEU MSC Michaela, arrived at Philadelphia's Packer Avenue Marine Terminal last Wednesday, PhilaPort said in a statement.
The service calls the ports of Mundra and Nhava Sheva on India's west coast, along with calls to Italy and Spain, before arriving on the east coast of North America. Along with Philadelphia, the Indus 2 also calls Halifax, which was added last year; Boston; Baltimore; Port Everglades; and Freeport, Bahamas.
PhilaPort's current vessel services include two from the South Pacific, three services from South America, one from Central America, three European services, and one from South Africa.
Jeff Theobald, chief executive of PhilaPort , said in the statement that shippers want more direct services rather than having to rely on transshipping from other ports. 'Shippers want more efficient options and this new India/Med service fits perfectly into our wheelhouse,' he said.
The addition of the new Indus 2 call to Philadelphia comes as freight rates from India remain high. Contract rates for India-US East Coast voyages have risen about 20 per cent since the end of March.
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