Container Ship Delivers First Boxes to Great Lakes Port

The US Coast Guard say that the 'Fortunagracht', a 450-foot Dutch-flagged container ship, has delivered the first-ever load of containerized cargo to the Great Lakes.

Before the establishment of the Cleveland-Europe Express, shippers relied heavily on rail service to transport goods from the larger east coast container ports, such as New York and Baltimore, to the Great Lakes region.

Talks to bring CEE to Cleveland began in the fall with cooperation between the Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, the FBI and other government agencies.

“Marine Safety Unit Cleveland worked closely with the Cleveland Port Authority’s facility security officer, CBP, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement officials to ensure safe and secure operations for the CEE,” said Lt. Cmdr. J. Wade Russell, commanding officer of MSU Cleveland. “MSU personnel focused primarily on maritime domain awareness surrounding the operations and compliance with safety and security regulations within the port.”

Pictured: Petty Officer 2nd Class Cody Johnson, a marine inspector stationed at Marine Safety Unit Cleveland, inspects navigation equipment aboard the motor vessel Fortunagract for compliance with international and domestic regulations.