New Scheduled International Cargo Shipping Service
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) today joined the Port of Cleveland in announcing the launch of the Port of Cleveland’s Express Ocean Freight Service. The new service will run between the Port of Cleveland and Antwerp, Belgium via the Saint Lawrence Seaway and is the first regularly scheduled international cargo shipping service to a U.S. port on the Great Lakes in decades.
“Our ports play a critical role in freight movement, and the Port of Cleveland has been a leader in finding new ways to expand the use of the Great Lakes Seaway System,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx. “As freight shipments continue to increase, this service will provide new opportunities and grow businesses in the manufacturing heartland of America.”
The arrival at the port of the Dutch vessel Fortunagracht out of Antwerp on April 19 marked the inaugural voyage of the Cleveland-Europe Express Ocean Freight Service. The vessel is carrying a variety of cargo and departs back to Europe today with U.S. exports. The service will continue to make one round trip each month and is expected to grow as demand increases. Administrator Betty Sutton joined with local leaders in Cleveland for the announcement today.
“The new Cleveland-Europe Express Service represents a breakthrough for Great Lakes shipping and is one of the most positive economic development initiatives in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System in many years,” said Administrator Sutton. “It is an example of how we can use the economic and natural resources of the Great Lakes region to create new jobs and opportunities in powerful and sustainable ways.”