While the Port of Cleveland has long been a tremendous asset for
Northeast Ohio, it continues to prove its value as cargo volumes
through the Port are on the rise. In fact, as reported in this
Cleveland.com article, tonnage for
international cargo was up 12 percent in 2015 when compared to
2014. The rise in shipments is due in large part to
Spliethoff’s Cleveland-Europe Express, which provides
regularly scheduled service from the Port of Cleveland to the Port
of Antwerp. In 2016, Spliethoff will begin offering service from
the Great Lakes to India, generating additional traffic through the
Port of Cleveland. The increased service out of the Port is yet
another indication of why the Port of Cleveland is such an
important economic asset for Northeast Ohio.
Launched in 2014, the Cleveland-Europe Express serves as the only
direct, scheduled vessel service that moves containerized and
non-containerized cargo between the Great Lakes and Europe. Average
service between Cleveland and Europe is typically 14-16 days
compared to 25 days from East Coast ports. In 2015, container
volumes along the Cleveland-Europe Express increased more than 400
percent when compared to 2014. The strong demand in service has
prompted plans for weekly service between the Port of Cleveland and
the Port of Antwerp beginning in 2016.
In addition to weekly service to Europe, monthly service from
Cleveland to India will also kickoff in 2016. The India – Great
Lakes Express, operated by Spliethoff and Puyvast, will provide
year-round service, connecting the Great Lakes, Europe and India.
The average trip from Cleveland to India is approximately 50 days,
which is a relatively short turn-around time when shipping such
large containers. Given the success of the Cleveland to Antwerp
route, the additional service to India was a logical next step that
will hopefully pay dividends for the region.
To learn more about the Port of Cleveland and its importance to
our region, please follow the links below.
+Port of Cleveland cargo volumes continue to exceed
2014 levels
+The Port of Cleveland is seeing more cargo this year than
in 2014