Busan New Port's first calling

Busan New Port welcomed its first calling vessel since it opened one month ago. The world's second largest shipping company, MSC, entered the port with a container vessel, the 'RISA', at 10:30am on February 25.

The RISA's calling route runs Mexico - New York - LA·Long Beach - Tokyo - Hong Kong - Pusan. It will handle 750 TEU of transshipment cargoes as well as import and export cargoes at the port.

Busan New Port has had difficulties attracting cargoes since the port opened on January 19. This first calling is now all the more cause for the government to work to grow the port as a major hub for North East Asia.

Meanwhile, another vessel, the 'LARA' (2,500 TEU), from MSC arrived and departed from Busan New Port on February 27 after unloading 600 TEU of cargoes and loading more the same day.

MSC decided to change these two callings from the Korex Terminal Gamman wharf in Pusan North Port to the Busan New Port. They handle 600,000 containers yearly calling five times weekly at Pusan North Port.

The company will increase callings to three times weekly to handle between 200,000 and 300,000 containers from April of this year. They will also increase handling cargoes from Busan New Port from next year.

The Busan New Port Company operates private funded wharves with nine berths and is discussing additional callings with other shipping companies, with at least one other shipping company calling at Busan New Port this month.

The Busan New Port Company set their goal to handle 900,000 containers at three berths that opened in January of this year.