Horizon Lines renews US terminal agreements, announces new service

By on Mar 1, 2010

Horizon Lines has signed an MOU with APM Terminals North America for a new terminal services agreement; and will also launch a new Asia service when its current space-charter agreement with Maersk expires in December

Horizon Lines and APM Terminals (APMT) North America have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a new six-year US terminal services agreement, effective immediately

The prior agreement with APMT was scheduled to expire on December 10th, 2010

The MOU applies to stevedoring and terminal services provided to Horizon Lines by APMT in Jacksonville (Florida), Houston (Texas), Los Angeles (California), Tacoma (Washington) and Elizabeth (New Jersey) through 2015, with an option to extend for two years

Horizon Lines has the option to exclude the Elizabeth terminal from the agreement if it chooses to serve the Northeast market from a port not located in New York or New Jersey

Horizon Lines has also announced plans to launch its own weekly transpacific liner service between Asia and the US West Coast in December 2010 The new service will deploy its own five 2,824 TEU containerships that currently call on Guam and continue to China as part of a space-charter agreement with Maersk Line In preparation for these plans, Horizon and Maersk have mutually agreed not to renew their current Asia space-charter agreement when it expires on December 10, 2010

Horizon Lines is currently evaluating specific port options and schedules The new trans-Pacific service will allow Horizon Lines to continue to serve an expanding military presence in Guam, where trade is expected to grow significantly in coming years

According to Brian Taylor, Horizon Lines' newly appointed senior vice president of international services, the transpacific trade, which comprises mainly China - US commerce, continues to be the largest and most dynamic market in the world More than eighteen million TEU moved between the US and China in 2009, and this is expected to increase again this year

The new Asia service will be integrated with the company's expanded warehousing and distribution capabilities on the US West Coast to create an integrated import/export solution