CMA CGM makes first call at Port Tampa Bay

   CMA CGM made its first call at Port Tampa Bay Wednesday with the arrival of the 8,469-TEU CMA CGM Dalila as part of its Pacific Express 3 (PEX3) service.
   The ship is tied for the fourth-largest nominal capacity among the 11 ships on the weekly service, according to CMA CGM’s website. The service offers a 37-day transit time from Port Tampa Bay to Singapore and has a rotation of Singapore – Vung Tau – Hong Kong – Shekou – Ningbo – Shanghai – Busan – Panama Canal – Houston – Mobile – New Orleans – Tampa – Miami – Singapore, CMA CGM, the world’s fourth-largest carrier, said in the announcement.
   “We are delighted and honored to welcome CMA CGM to the Port Tampa Bay family,” said port President and CEO Paul Anderson in the announcement. “The ongoing development of our terminal facilities and the addition of our new larger cranes, in line with the Panama Canal expansion, was key to accommodating this new service.”
   Port Tampa Bay’s $63 million dredging project to expand the Big Bend Channel was completed in April a year ahead of schedule. The project deepened the entrance channel, east/west channel, inner channel turning basin and local service facilities from 34 feet to 43 feet. It also widened the entrance channel from 200 feet to 250 feet for 1.9 milled, deepened the existing turning basin to 43 feet and expanded the turning basin to 1,200 feet.
    The world’s third-largest carrier COSCO made its first call to Port Tampa Bay Jan. 29 with the arrival of the 4,250-TEU COSCO Piraeus. The ship is part of the Gulf of Mexico Express service, which has a rotation of Shanghai — Ningbo — Xiamen — Yantian — Houston — Mobile — Tampa.