Cargo Business Newswire

Monday, September 28, 2015

SC Line starts service from Port Everglades to Cuba

Florida based shipping company SC Line recently started a new era not only for the Cuba-U.S. relationship but also for world trade. On September 20, the Caroline Russ berthed at the Mariel port in the first commercial voyage of the new normal.

SC Line will serve the Cuban seaports of Mariel and Santiago every two weeks on a route with calls in Florida, Cuba, Panama and Colombia. The Caroline Russ can carry shipping containers, vehicles, breakbulk and other varied cargo.

"We're ready to respond to customer volume. We could add bigger ships, more ships or weekly service if needed," said Jose Pardo, chief marketing officer from company offices in Panama.

Port Everglades already has shipping service to Cuba from Crowley Maritime, the Jacksonville-based line authorized since 2001 to ship food, humanitarian supplies and other approved items to the island. Crowley typically serves Cuba's new container port at Mariel weekly.

Shipments to Cuba have been limited under the 5-decades-old U.S. embargo against the island. But trade now is poised to grow, as the Obama administration since Dec. 17 has adopted a new policy of engagement to Cuba that punches more holes in the embargo.

For more of the Sun Sentinel story: www.sun-sentinel.com