The Green Alliance, formerly known as the CKYH alliance, will discontinue in September its weekly container service to the Port of Halifax in Nova Scotia, Journal of Commerce reports. The alliance, a vessel-sharing agreement between Cosco, “K” Line, Yang Ming and Hanjin Shipping, together with MOL, will make its last call at Halterm Container Terminal on Sept. 20, according to reports. The decision will be reviewed next year, the alliance said.
Halifax Port Authority spokesman Michele Peveril said the alliance dropped Halifax, the service’s first inbound North American port call, because it isn’t near a major population center. The service accounts for about 20,000 20-foot equivalent container units, or 4.5 percent, of the port’s annual container volume.
The service, which deploys nine post-Panamax ships connecting China and Southeast Asia with North America via the Suez Canal, has been calling on Halifax since mid-2009. The service was enhanced — and changed its name — in April 2010 when MOL joined. The port authority said three other shipping firms continue to provide Halifax with service to Asia.
“We anticipate that some of the cargo will be carried by other shipping lines,” Peveril told the Halifax Chronicle Herald. She said Halifax is more likely to be affected by a service change than larger, more central locations because it is considered a "discretionary port."
Four U.S. ports on the route, including New York, Norfolk, Jacksonville and Savannah, aren’t affected by the change.
Canadian Tire, one of the alliance’s biggest customers, said in a statement it is talking to other shipping lines about picking up its imports. It already ships cargo with some of these carriers.
The tire retailer imports goods through Halifax for distribution throughout Eastern Canada via the Consolidated Fastfrate terminal in Burnside Park in Dartmouth. Some alliance customers already ship goods to Halifax with other carriers, Peveril said.
Halifax Port Authority spokesman Michele Peveril said the alliance dropped Halifax, the service’s first inbound North American port call, because it isn’t near a major population center. The service accounts for about 20,000 20-foot equivalent container units, or 4.5 percent, of the port’s annual container volume.
The service, which deploys nine post-Panamax ships connecting China and Southeast Asia with North America via the Suez Canal, has been calling on Halifax since mid-2009. The service was enhanced — and changed its name — in April 2010 when MOL joined. The port authority said three other shipping firms continue to provide Halifax with service to Asia.
“We anticipate that some of the cargo will be carried by other shipping lines,” Peveril told the Halifax Chronicle Herald. She said Halifax is more likely to be affected by a service change than larger, more central locations because it is considered a "discretionary port."
Four U.S. ports on the route, including New York, Norfolk, Jacksonville and Savannah, aren’t affected by the change.
Canadian Tire, one of the alliance’s biggest customers, said in a statement it is talking to other shipping lines about picking up its imports. It already ships cargo with some of these carriers.
The tire retailer imports goods through Halifax for distribution throughout Eastern Canada via the Consolidated Fastfrate terminal in Burnside Park in Dartmouth. Some alliance customers already ship goods to Halifax with other carriers, Peveril said.