Maersk and Kotahi have signed a ten-year deal to allow bigger shipping containers into New Zealand’s Port of Tauranga by the end of 2016.
Logistics company Kotahi has committed 2.5m export containers to Maersk over the next ten years in order for the world’s largest shipping company to confidently introduce 6,500 TEU ships into the country. New Zealand’s largest port has also struck a deal with Kotahi, which will provide 1.8m TEU export cargo containers to the port over the next ten years as well as committing export traffic to the port's subsidiary TCTS.
'New Zealand doesn't have a big ship capable port and now is the right time for key players to work together to build a capability within New Zealand to receive these large vessels with all the efficiencies they will bring to New Zealand,” said Kotahi’s chief executive Chris Greenough. “Increased collaboration will smooth out the peaks and troughs of our agriculture-driven export sector and drive a step change in efficiency for the Kiwi export supply chain.”
The Port of Tauranga is investing in infrastructure to accommodate the larger container ships and will issue 2m shares to Kotahi as part of the agreement.
'Our ability to accommodate the next generation of large ships will also address New Zealand's disadvantages in international export markets, including the country's distance from major transport routes and its relatively small and dispersed freight volumes,” said the port’s chief exectutive Mark Cairns.
'We are looking forward to expanding our already highly-productive relationship with Kotahi and to increased visits from the Maersk Line fleet.”
