Kingston Wharves welcomes the MV Toronto Trader on its maiden Voyage

Kingston Wharves welcomed the MV Toronto Trader and its crew to Jamaica on Monday March 7. The new container ship was making its maiden voyage, with Kingston Jamaica the first Port of call and also where it took on first cargo load from KWL.

In a brief ceremony on board the vessel KWL CEO Grantley Stephenson extended welcome to the Captain and crew of the vessel. He went on to state that “this development is important in Jamaica’s continued thrust to expand its capacity and connectivity as regional transshipment hub for North America and the Caribbean Region”. He spoke in the context of the continued expansion and modernisation of the port.

Also speaking at the ceremony, Harry Maragh, Managing Director Lannaman and Morris (Agents for Seafreight, A Crowley Company) highlighted that not only will there be economic benefits for the country but environmental benefits as “the ship is among the most fuel efficient hence reducing carbon emissions”.

Captain Vladislova Radzys expressed appreciation for the welcome and while looking forward to the vessel calling Jamaica on a regular basis.

The MV Toronto Trader is operated by Crowley Maritime which is marking its return to Jamaica having withdrawn over sixteen years prior. Crowley’s return is as a result of the takeover of Seafreight’s operations in the Latin-America and Caribbean region. The Jacksonville, Florida based company has a fleet of over three hundred vessels including container vessels, tankers, tugs and barges.

The MV Toronto Trader, the newest addition, will visit Kingston every ten days while it serves the Caribbean with ports of call in the Eastern Caribbean, South America and Port Everglades in Florida. The vessel has a capacity of 1,102 TEU (Twenty foot Equivalent Units) inclusive of 220 refrigerated units.

Kingston Wharves Limited is the Caribbean’s leading Multi-purpose Port Terminal Operator, providing the Region’s importers and exporters with a broad range of cargo handling and logistics services and connections to over 20 international ports in the Caribbean, Latin and North America. KWL is currently undergoing an expansion and modernisation project as it transforms to meet the expected cargo growth from the Panama Canal Expansion.