The container terminal operator made the decision because its primary customer in Jacksonville, ocean carrier Horizon Lines, halted its Puerto Rico service and sold off its assets in 2014, APMT said in a statement.
APM Terminals ceased operations at the Port of Jacksonville June 30. The company operated the Blount Island Marine Terminal, which was taken over by SSA Marine, effective July 1.
The determining factor for APM Terminals to end its lease at the Port of Jacksonville was ocean carrier Horizon Lines halting its Puerto Rico service and selling off its company assets in 2014, APMT said in a statement.
The container terminal operator’s sister company, ocean carrier Maersk Line, recently began calling the Port of Jacksonville on its newly launched 2M Alliance service dubbed TP10 by Maersk and New Everglades by 2M partner Mediterranean Shipping Co.
SSA Marine will provide stevedoring services for the TP10/New Everglades service.
According to ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting, the loop operates with 10 vessels with an average capacity of 4,096 TEUs. The port rotation of the TP10/New Everglades is Xingang, Qingdao, Shanghai, Busan, Cristobal, Savannah, Charleston, Jacksonville, Miami, Vostochniy and Xingang.
APM Terminals will also cease operations at the Port of Houston this summer, but Maersk Line will continue to call the port.
The company operates five other container terminals in ports throughout the United States, located in Elizabeth, N.J.; Miami, Fla; Mobile, Ala.; Los Angeles, Calif. and Tacoma, Wash. Total container throughput at APM Terminals’ U.S. facilities in 2014 was 6.15 million TEUs, according to APMT.