Maersk Line Will Continue Houston Port Calls After APM Terminals Exit

The world’s greatest transport firm, Maersk Line, and its affiliated transport companies, SeaLand and Safmarine, has agreed to proceed to name on the Port of Houston after APM Terminals, a unit of Maersk Group, mentioned it was completely terminating its operations there, the Port of Houston Authority mentioned Wednesday.

APM Terminals notified the Texas Workforce Commission on June 12 that it might shut down its Barbours Cut terminal in La Porte, Texas on July 24, a few month earlier than anticipated. The closure was anticipated to impression over 100 jobs.

According to Maersk Line, its present companies that decision the Port of Houston Authority’s terminals will stay unchanged and uninterrupted, the port authority mentioned in a press release.

“We remain committed to serving all of our customers for whom the Port of Houston is a critical gateway to their supply chains,” mentioned Timothy Simpson, who’s head of Maersk’s Marketing and Communications division situated in Florham Park, New Jersey. “The Port Authority is a valuable partner and we will work with them to ensure there are no service disruptions as a result of this change.”

The Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority final month licensed the termination of a lease with Maersk Group and its affiliated corporations, a mutually agreed transfer that was seen as useful to each events, in accordance with the Port of Houston Authority. The transition to termination is underneath means now, with the method anticipated to conclude in late July.

The Port Authority has had a prolonged landlord-tenant relationship with Maersk at its Barbours Cut container terminal, and the corporate is now free to name there or on the Port Authority’s Bayport container terminal as a typical provider, the port authority mentioned.

The Port Authority is investing closely in infrastructure at its container terminals and different amenities and can proceed to ship a excessive stage of service to Maersk and each different provider, famous Ricky Kunz, Chief Commercial Officer on the Port of Houston Authority.

“Our strong relationship with Maersk remains intact and we will continue to deliver high-caliber service to that carrier and all our customers,” Kunz mentioned.