The CMA CGM Marco Polo arrived yesterday, May 20, at the Port of New York and New Jersey, becoming the largest vessel to call on the East Coast of the United States. The vessel previously called Halifax, marking its first stop and setting the record for size on the east coast of North America.
At 396 meters long and 53 meters wide, the ship is only about 150 feet shorter than the Empire State Building. It has a capacity of 16,022 20-foot equivalent containers. Delivered in 2012, the CMA CGM Marco Polo held the title of the world’s largest container ship, surpassing Maersk’s E-Class, which included the Emma Maersk.
The CMA CGM Marco Polo is deployed on the weekly Columbus JAX service connecting South Asia with the east coast of North America. It first arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on May 17, setting a new size record there. After New York/New Jersey, it will call at the Port of Virginia (May 23), the Port of Savannah (May 26) and the Port of Charleston (May 28), where it will also break records.
The vessel is now berthed at the APM Terminals container terminal in Port Elizabeth, New Jersey.
CMA CGM says the vessel’s debut at JAX reflects an increase in capacity.
“The deployment of the CMA CGM MARCO POLO is a further indicator of our flexibility and commitment to delivering the essentials that keep America moving,” said Ed Aldridge, President, CMA CGM Americas and APL North America. “It is also important to mention that this milestone would not be possible without the efforts of our port partners on the East Coast. Their smart and timely infrastructure improvements to support the larger vessels make it possible for us to proactively respond to our customers’ needs.”
