Cala-Poniente is here
THE Cala-Poniente, the first of two new container lines that will facilitate further trade between Jamaica, Canada, Cuba, Mexico and South America, arrived in the island last Thursday.
The Cala-Poniente, which is owned by the Italian-based, Costa Container Line Limited (CCL), will offer a weekly service between Kingston and a number of South American ports as well as Canada.
“It will bring new transshipment business to the transshipment terminal and we look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with Costa Container Line”, said Charles Johnston, chairman of Jamaica Freight and Shipping Limited, the local agents.
The new arrangement came about as a result of talks with the Port Authority of Jamaica, which said last week that it was “pleased” with the addition of the new service.
“We welcome the additional business that these new services will bring to the port,” remarked the authority’s chairman, Noel Hylton.
Operating from Genoa, CCL has a container fleet of approximately 31,500 units and has offices in Barcelona, Valencia, Buenos Aires, Bogota, Caracas, Costa Rica, Santos, Panama and Mexico City.
The line has been plying the trade route between the Mediterranean and South America for the past 50 years and has evolved and expanded its network of destinations and services to include Jamaica on its schedule.