Singapore's APL, the container shipping arm of Neptune Orient Lines, is moving away from the New York Container Terminal (NYCT) without saying where it is going, reported the Staten Island Advance.
But there is much speculation that APL is eyeing a deal with Maher Terminals in New Jersey, but no comment has come from either side. Both terminals face the problem of the shallow air draft under the Bayonne Bridge.
When asked whether it had signed a deal with Maher, APL said it doesn't comment on contracts, but confirmed NYCT's announcement of the shipping line's impending departure, reported American Shipper. APL accounts for more than a third of NYCT volume.
NYCT chief executive Jim Devine said APL will not be renewing its lease at the terminal because it needs bigger facilities to accommodate bigger ships.
Attempts to enlarge the terminal have had little success, Mr Devine said, adding that bridge tolls New York state wants to impose does not make the terminal more attractive. "Doing business here, as opposed to in New Jersey, runs an average truck US$100 more per trip," he said. |
