Packer Avenue Marine Terminal News

A former heavyweight boxer from Montenegro was charged by the U.S. Department of Justice on Monday with trafficking in 22 tons of cocaine worth over $1 billion, most of which was part of one of the largest cocaine seizures in American history.Goran Gogic, 43, was arrested on Sunday night while trying to board a flight to Zurich from Miami International Airport, after being indicted by a grand jury in New York.Prosecutors charged Gogic with three counts of violating the federal Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act, and one count of conspiracy.

The M/V Zhen Hua 25 departed Shanghai, China last month with two new super post-Panamax container cranes bound for South Philadelphia.The two behemoths will navigate a lengthy global trek before reaching the Delaware River for an expected mid-March arrival to the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal, said a press note from the Port of Philadelphia."The arrival will mark another important milestone in the comprehensive modernization project underway at Packer, and highlights a key competitive advantage for shippers looking to improve time to market on the East Coast of the United States," it said.“Our terminal is currently under capacity, meaning we could handle rerouted surplus bound for nearby congested terminals immediately without blinking an eye…

The first of a new class of “Neo-Panamax” shipping vessels called the Port of Philadelphia to begin a new phase of transport along the Delaware River. The MSC Sofia Celeste, an 8,800 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) vessel operated by the Mediterranean Shipping Company, docked at the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal in South Philadelphia for the first time, making it the largest ship to ever call the Port of Philadelphia. “This new service comes as a direct result of the opening of the Panama Canal Expansion,” said David Whene, President of Greenwich Terminals LLC, operator of the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal. The MSC Sofia Celeste was completed in 2014 and has an on-board capacity of 8…

Crowley Maritime Corp.’s Miami-based subsidiary Customized Brokers recently cleared the first shipment of Uruguayan citrus to enter the U.S. in nearly 20 years, a major agricultural milestone made possible by the combined, dedicated efforts of the importer, USDA and Uruguayan Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. To mark the historic occasion, Customized Brokers’ John Donohue, trade development specialist, joined the importer, U.S. agricultural representatives, Uruguayan dignitaries…

Horizon Lines relocated its Northeast port of call from Elizabeth, New Jersey to Philadelphia, to mark another milestone for the Port of Philadelphia. Led by Governor Tom Corbett and political and business leaders from across the region, the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal welcomed Horizon Lines, Inc., one of  the nation's premier containerized cargo shipping lines, to Philadelphia. Under terms of the agreement between Horizon and Packer, reached with the assistance of Governor Corbett and other Commonwealth officials, Horizon will call Packer 52 times a year, providing weekly service between the Northeast U.S. and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Less than three months after seeking proposals from interested parties to design, operate and maintain a major new marine terminal in South Philadelphia, Governor Edward G. Rendell announced on July 23 the shortlist of teams that will continue in the solicitation process developing a public-private partnership that is expected to bring millions of dollars of investment to the region. One of the teams selected was a consortium comprising Delaware River Stevedores (DRS) and Hyundai Merchant Marine America (HMMA). DRS is a joint venture between Carrix Inc., and Ports America Group, the two largest independent terminal operating companies in the United States. DRS has vast stevedoring experience at several major U.S. ports, including the Port of Philadelphia.