en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Jacksonville Port Authority (Jaxport) announced the first call of the vessel "Sapphire" under the ZCP-Amberjack container service, jointly operated by ZIM Line and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC).

The new weekly service connects Jacksonville with major Asian container distribution hubs while opening transshipment routes for shippers to Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean. The service calls weekly at Jaxport's Blount Island Marine Terminal, with the rotation: Qingdao, Ningbo, and Shanghai in China; Busan, South Korea; Panama (Manzanillo); Cartagena, Colombia; Charleston, South Carolina, USA; Savannah, Georgia; Jacksonville; Kingston, Jamaica; and returning to Busan, South Korea.

Transit time for cargo shipped from North Asia to Jacksonville is approximately 28 to 32 days. Through ZIM's transshipment hubs in Kingston, Jamaica, and Cartagena, Colombia, customers can also connect to multiple international markets, including the west coast of South America.

In addition to direct Asia routes, the new service expands shipping options through its transshipment network: Latin America covers Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and Guyana; the Caribbean connects to Aruba for the first time, and includes Curaçao and Panama; the Mediterranean provides access to ports in Italy, Greece, Israel, and Egypt; and Asia strengthens links with China, Vietnam, and Singapore.

Robert Peek, Jaxport's Chief Commercial Officer, stated that the service solidifies the partnership with ZIM and MSC, offering customers reliable connections to key Asian markets and expanding access to international destinations through an integrated global network. He noted that these enhanced capabilities help customers move cargo more efficiently while strengthening Jacksonville's role as a global trade gateway. The vessels operating the service use liquefied natural gas (LNG), a cleaner marine fuel, which can be bunkered during calls at the Port of Jacksonville.