Zim American Integrated Shipping has announced that it is launching a new direct container service between Mexico and Tampa in the US, a move that has been well received by the Tampa Port Authority.
Scheduled to start on the 29 January, the new weekly Mexico Tampa Express Service (MTX) will use two ships chartered by Zim of 550 TEU and 700 TEU capacity, with a rotation of Kingston, Veracruz, Altamira, Tampa, Kingston.
'Having a direct reliable service in this trade operated by a major global container carrier is huge,' said Tampa Port director Richard Wainio. There is a significant volume of business moving between Mexico and Florida, as well as beyond to markets in the southeastern US.
'Zim's new service will be of major benefit to this trade which today moves primarily by circuitous and congested overland routes,' he added. ' The inclusion of a direct Tampa-Kingston leg will also greatly assist exporters who will see much faster transit times to connect to Zim's global network, including markets in Asia, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.'
The announcement follows the expansion in November of Zim's South America Express service which added new direct connections to Tampa from Brazil and Venezuela.
