Port Direct Newsletter
August 2024
Welcome to the new edition of the Port Direct newsletter, we hope you enjoy reading our latest containerised cargo news and updates.
First arrival of MSC Britannia
On 15th August, Port of Liverpool proudly welcomed the inaugural vessel of the groundbreaking new Britannia Service. This premium service, a significant milestone in global trade, offers direct connections between China and Vietnam into the North UK via Port of Liverpool, and presents significant supply chain improvement opportunities across cargo accessibility, transportation cost, carbon emissions and UK road and rail congestion.
The Britannia Service not only offers fast transit times from key origin ports in China and Vietnam, but by discharging cargo in Liverpool, close to its end destination and with close proximity to the UK’s major concentration of warehouse and distribution networks, can improve stock certainty by eradicating UK distribution delays due to congested UK networks delivering cargo from southern ports.
Furthermore, shorter delivery journeys presents multiple additional benefits including lower end to end transportation cost as well as the opportunity to increase landside fleet utilisation, decarbonise the supply chain, and improve supply chain reliability and resilience. To benefit from these clear supply chain improvement opportunities, please contact your MSC representative or Freight Manager.
Qingdao Port Collaboration Agreement
Peel Ports Group has entered into a collaboration with SPG Qingdao Port Group Ltd. This exciting development seeks to strengthen the relationship between two technically advanced terminals, to strengthen information and technological exchanges and business collaboration, to promote mutual trade benefits as well as planning, operational and productivity improvement.
Vast arrays of products are manufactured in Qingdao and supply chains throughout Europe are calling for direct Qingdao to UK services. Current transit times into UK ports range from 52-65 days as stock is transhipped from Qingdao via other ports in China such as Shanghai.
It is hoped that this collaboration can further develop trade between the Shandong China and Northwest UK regions and ultimately influence carriers to deploy direct services between the regions, reducing transit time and offering more effective logistics solutions for shippers from this significant province of China.
Rail connectivity at the Port of Liverpool
The Port of Liverpool is directly connected to the UK rail network, enabling efficient delivery of containers to the port for export or for onward delivery of import containers to their final destination.
The Port of Liverpool recently achieved a record number of rail moves on a single train, accommodating 116 container moves comprising 41 export containers and 75 import containers, completing the operation in under 4 hours.
Port of Liverpool currently has a number of rail route offerings including three round trips between Liverpool and Mossend (depart Mossend Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) as well as three services per week connecting to Hams Hall (Monday, Wednesday, Friday), but significant further potential exists to expand rail service connectivity to other major rail interchange hubs should demand require.