MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. announces proposals for an innovative new reefer-focused service, the ‘Central America Express’, which will provide a broader range of faster services between the major fruit-loading ports of Central America and the US, the company said in its press release.
MSC is launching Central America Express in partnership with Great White Fleet (GWF), the shipping arm of US fruit giant and fresh food distributor Chiquita Brands. The new service will connect Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama to Florida and the US Gulf (New Orleans and Freeport, Texas), while naturally taking advantage of MSC's Bahamas hub of Freeport. Central America Express will be a two-string butterfly service, commencing in mid-October.
The proposed deal represents a major strategic advance for MSC: partnering with a world - class operator to serve a specific commodity market while also introducing mother services to Central American countries other than Panama. Until now, other countries have been served with feeders departing from transhipment ports (Freeport, Cristobal or Balboa). Overall, the launch of this new service not only demonstrates MSC’s capacity to flex its services according to the changing dynamics of the world’s markets, but also unwavering desire to deliver a best in class service to its customers.