Supply chain issues brought together a Dutch-operated ship chartered by a U.S. forwarder to make a historic call at a Canadian port.
Montreal Gateway Terminals Partnership, a terminal operator at the Port of Montreal, announced its first vessel call originating directly from China.
The heavy-lift vessel Happy Rover arrived in Montreal Nov. 14 under charter agreement with Houston-based forwarder Fracht FWO Inc., MGTP said in a release. The 453-foot ship had departed Taicang, China, on Sept. 29 and transited the Panama Canal on Oct. 29 after calling Busan, Korea. It was operated by Biglift Shipping B.V., a heavy-lift specialist headquartered in Amsterdam.
The call marked the first time in its 50 years that MGTP had received a direct China call.
After discharging unspecified cargo for routing inland by truck, the Netherlands-flagged Happy Rover departed a day later for the Great Lakes with a final destination of Thunder Bay, Canada, the release stated.
“The first direct shipping link, without transshipment, between Asia and the Port of Montreal demonstrates the fluidity of the trade and the availability of our installations in Montreal,” said Guillaume Brossard, vice president, growth and development, for the Montreal Port Authority, in the release.
The port said Fracht and Fracht Canada Freight Inc., earlier this year had reached out to MGTP to evaluate the option of moving their customers’ freight through Montreal.
The MGTP complex comprises the Sections 62 and 77 container facilities. A total of nine ship-to-shore gantry cranes handle dry and refrigerated containers across 134 acres.
“Times have been challenging for many of our customers who face disruptions in the global shipping market. This solution has been truly ‘out of the box,’” said Benjamin Liewald, executive vice president, projects, for Fracht, in the release. “It has helped us put this solution together and help ship a tremendous amount of cargo on one vessel during these difficult times.”
Before calling Montreal, the Happy Rover made maritime history as it became the first heavy-lift vessel to sail the Northern Searoute and Northwest Passage in one season, B.V. Shipping said on its website. It also is the first vessel to use the shortest of the Northwest Passage routes, via Fury and Hecla Strait, as a transit trade lane between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
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