APM Terminals Port Elizabeth receives largest ever ship to call the U.S. East Coast

APM Terminals Port Elizabeth, located in the Port of New York and New Jersey, welcomed the CMA CGM Brazil on September 12. Built in 2020, the 366-meter-long, 51-meter-wide container ship with a capacity of 15,072 TEUs is the largest vessel ever to call the U.S. East Coast.

The landmark arrival of the CMA CGM Brazil is a result of investments made by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and APM Terminals over the past few years. 

Improvements included the Bayonne Bridge Navigational Clearance Program, which increased the air draft of the bridge to 65.5m and a Harbour Deepening Program, which created a 15.2m deep shipping channel, have readied the Port of New York and New Jersey to welcome the next generation of ultra-large container vessels.  

APM Terminals Port Elizabeth has invested around USD $200 million to accommodate increased container traffic and ultra-large container vessels. The terminal offers four ZPMC ship-to-shore super post-panamax cranes, capable of handling the largest container vessels on the water today, up to 23 containers wide on-deck. 

Investment in terminal efficiency

This year the terminal also inaugurated its new state-of-the-art gate complex, which employs a modern truck appointment system to reduce queues and keep turn times to a minimum. Gate and yard technology at the terminal include optical character recognition, radio frequency identification, global positioning systems, closed circuit television and weigh-in-motion scales for maximum efficiency.

The CMA CGM Brazil is operating on a service which connects the U.S. East Coast to Southeast Asia via the Suez Canal. The ship is transporting clothing, furniture, toys, pharmaceuticals and food for distribution to retailers.

The CMA CGM Brazil arrived in Norfolk  on the 15th, and is expected to in Savannah on 18th, followed by Charleston, South Carolina on September 20, before returning east to resume her rotation. 

The CMA CGM Group, a world leader in shipping and logistics operating a fleet of 500 vessels and serving more than 420 commercial ports worldwide, is a long-time partner of the Port of New York and New Jersey.  Larger ships such as the CMA CGM Brazil make the transportation of goods more economical while also contributing to local, regional, and national growth.