King Ocean's service consolidation to increase volume into Port Everglades

King Ocean is consolidating several Eastern Caribbean services that previously called on Terminal Island in Miami, which is expected to bring an additional 30,000 containers annually to Port Everglades, port officials announced earlier this week.

The additional services will sail weekly from King Ocean's Sun Terminal at Port Everglades to destinations such as St. Maarten, St. Kitts, St. Barth, St. Lucia, Barbados and the Dominican Republic. The new services build on King Ocean's existing services that call at ports in Colombia, Venezuela and Central America, according to a press release.

In fiscal-year 2013, which ended Sept. 30, 2013, King Ocean moved about 140,000 20-foot equivalent units through Port Everglades. The carrier recently added a 7.3-acre Midport marine terminal to its existing 33.8-acre Southport terminal at Port Everglades.

"King Ocean's services are key to the port's market penetration strategies, and are a significant factor in Port Everglades' position as the number one South Atlantic seaport in containerized ocean cargo trade with the north coast of South America," said Port Everglades Chief Executive and Port Director Steven Cernak.

King Ocean has operated regular weekly container cargo ship services from Port Everglades to the Caribbean, Central America and the north coast of South America since 1994.