Cargo Business Newswire

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

New Maersk service links Europe to Cuba

Shipping giant Maersk Line started its first ever connection between northern European ports and Cuba last Friday, promising the fastest freight transit times between Europe and the Cuban port of Mariel.

The service will link the ports of Bremerhaven in Germany, Rotterdam, Tilbury in the UK, Cork to Mariel and onto Panama.

In the past month, Maersk has acted on rising demand from Irish-based customers by starting
a new direct service between Dublin and Algeciras in Spain.

The Cuba development will not only be a boon for Port of Cork but will also act as a significant development for Irish exporters, providing a new

opportunity to directly target the Latin American market.

In the past few years the containerized market in Cuba has been growing at between 10 percent and 15 percent per year; main drivers being infrastructure investments and modernization projects, including the terminal at Mariel and the creation of the Special Economic Zone of Mariel.

Maersk — one of the first movers since the removal of economic sanctions — is confident the new service will support the development of the Special Economic Zone, which is set to be the main engine of growth for the country.

For more of the Irish Examiner story: www.irishexaminer.com