New SeaLand All-Water Service Calls Port Houston

HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Port Houston is the first U.S. port of call in a new service between the
United States and Latin America called the Gulf Ocean Express, which is
operated by SeaLand, the Intra-Americas ocean carrier of the Maersk
Group.

The direct all-water service connects Houston, New Orleans, Central
America, Panama, and Colombia. The first sailing under this new service
was April 5, 2018, departing from Cartagena, Colombia, on the vessel
Tiger. The vessel arrived in Houston Wednesday, April 18.

The new service was highlighted by SeaLand Chief Executive Officer Craig
Mygatt during a keynote address he gave during the JOC Gulf Shipping
Conference held in Houston last week. Port Houston hosted the conference.

The Gulf Ocean Express serves U.S. export cargo out of the Gulf that
includes resins, chemicals, paper, mining, metals and frozen meat.
Imports into the U.S. include agricultural products like fresh fruit,
forestry, automotive/transportation, chemicals, and apparel.

The service also will focus on special breakbulk and out-of-gauge
products out of Houston, which handles more of that type cargo than any
other port in the country. It will handle similar cargo at New Orleans.

The new serviceÔÇÖs northbound rotation is Cartagena, Colombia;
Manzanillo, Panama; Puerto Cortes, Honduras; Santo Tomas, Guatemala;
Houston; and New Orleans. The southbound rotation is Houston, New
Orleans, Puerto Cortes, Santo Tomas, Cartagena, and Manzanillo.

The Gulf Ocean Express Service bridges every country in Latin America
through either direct or connecting services.

About Port Houston

For more than 100 years, Port Houston has owned and operated the
public wharves and terminals of the Port of Houston ÔÇô the nationÔÇÖs
largest port for foreign waterborne tonnage and an essential economic
engine for the Houston region, the state of Texas and the nation. It
supports the creation of nearly 1.175 million jobs in Texas and 2.7
million jobs nationwide, and economic activity totaling almost $265
billion in Texas ÔÇô 16 percent of TexasÔÇÖ total gross domestic product ÔÇô
and more than $617 billion in economic impact across the nation. For
more information, visit the portÔÇÖs website at PortHouston.com.

Contacts

Port Houston
Lisa Ashley, Director, Media Relations
Office:
713-670-2644; Mobile: 832-247-8179
E-mail: [email protected]