World's largest shipping company to begin docking in Haifa

The port says it has been working furiously to boost efficiency, and reached an internal productivity record last month.

By NIV ELIS
Haifa bay (photo credit: URIA ASHKENAZY/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)
Haifa bay
(photo credit: URIA ASHKENAZY/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)
The Haifa Port will begin serving the world's largest shipping alliance in October, serving as a stop on a line that begins in East Asia and continues on into the Adriatic Sea in Europe.
The 2M shipping alliance, which consists of shipping giants Maersk and MSC, will make its first stop in Israel on October 15th, when a ship called The Gustav will become the largest to ever dock at an Israeli port.
"We are very proud of the fact we have been selected, and we are already preparing to accommodate this line in cooperation with other parties such as the Customs Authority and the cargo division of Israel Railways, so that we can provide the very best services to the shipping companies as well as importers and exporters," said Haifa Port CEO Mendi Zaltzman.
The Port says it has been working furiously to boost efficiency, and reached an internal productivity record last month.
In July, American regulators cleared the way for the alliance to begin operating in Israel, Saudi Arabia and Russia, indicating that 2M was not a barrier to competition.
The Haifa stop on the shipping route will follow a stop at Egypt's Port Said.