Maersk’s Costa Rica Express (CRX) service has begun calling at DP World Southampton, giving fruit suppliers in Central America enhanced access to the UK and Western Europe.
The primary import product for the new service is bananas, which will be transported in reefers to ensure a constant temperature from the farms to the ripening facilities and retail distribution centres in the UK.
Ernst Schulze, UK chief executive of DP World, said: “Following on from last week’s news that we had moved a record volume of cargo at our two UK logistics hubs, we are delighted to welcome the latest new service to call at Southampton and benefit from our market-leading reefer capacity.
“It follows the outstanding track record at Southampton of the existing Columbia Express service (COEX), which also specialises in moving fruit in reefer units, with only two vessel calls in 12 months arriving more than 24 hours late.”
The Maersk CRX is the third new international shipping service to move to DP World’s UK ports this year, following several new arrivals in 2021.
Its rotation includes Antwerp, Bremerhaven, Veracruz, Altamira, Big Creek, Manzanillo (Pan), Moin and Cork to Southampton and back again.
The terminal has ensured guaranteed weekly arrivals on Fridays to ensure the fruit arrives on time to ensure maximum availability to consumers.
“Operating two ports – Southampton and London Gateway – means we offer unrivalled flexibility and choice to customers,” Shulze added. “Volumes can be switched quickly and easily between locations, giving customers more control over their supply chains and increasing security for supply of critical goods and coming into the UK. No other logistics business can offer this level of flexibility and certainty.”
DP World’s two ports in the UK handled a record volume of cargo in the first half of the year, with DP World London Gateway moving more than 1m teu in a six month period for the first time ever.
