b'MAY 10 - 23, 2021MARITIME Section 23(GROWcontinued fromspokesmanKehehyaRambuk-page 5) wella said the government was network.allowingforeignparticipation TheAPSEZwillbetheintheWestterminalwhich first Indian port operator in Srirequireslargeinvestmentfor Lanka, and will hold 51% in thedevelopment. terminalpartnership;theWCTIndia, which sees the Indian is expected to be developed toOceanregionasitsstrategic its final capacity of 1.5 millionbackyard,hasforyearsbeen TEUswithaquaylengthofworried by rival Chinas grow-1400metersandanalongsideing economic and political influ-depth of 20 meters.ence in neighboring Sri Lanka.Adani sources describe the projectimplementationasac hinAsp oRtp Actswin-winsituation,consider- China considers Sri Lanka ing that the network impact ofto be a critical link in its mas-Weekly service of Mediterranean Shipping Co. currently provides the Port of Boston with a direct link with Norththis partnership will be signifi- siveBeltandRoadglobal Europe, with connections to Latin America, the Mediterranean region and Southeast Asia. cant and multiply and accelerateinfrastructurebuildinginitia-thetransshipmentoptionsthattive and has provided billions of (WELCOMEcontinued fromvolumesarealreadyrobustMore than 2,500 businesseswill become available to variousdollars in loans for Sri Lankan page 6) at the Port of Boston, which,throughout New England countshipping lines and other poten- projectsoverthepastdecade. unlikemanyU.S.ports,upon the Port of Boston as a crit- tialportcustomersacrosstheThe projects include a seaport, h ARboRD ReDgingA heAD of enjoys a favorable trade balanceical supply chain link. The port s cheDule between inbound and outboundprovides an $8.2 billion annual Meanwhile,the$350mil- activities. boost to the regions economy.lionendeavortodeepenandTheportsimportsareledWeeklyservicescurrently widen Boston Harbor is advanc- byawiderangeofconsumercallingatConleyTerminal ing toward 2022 completion bygoods,fromfurnituretotoysincludeMediterraneanShip-GreatLakesDredge&Dock,and games to wines and spirits,pingCo.sdirectlinkfrom theDutraGroupandlocalwhileexportsincluderecycledNorth Europe, which offers con-partnerCashmanDredging&fibers,pulp,logsandlumbernectionswithLatinAmerica, Marine through a collaborationand, of course, New EnglandstheMediterraneanregionand between the U.S. Army Corps ofworld-renowned frozen seafood.SoutheastAsia,andsailings Engineers,theCommonwealthAs the nation has grappled withfrom North Asia by the Ocean of Massachusetts and Massport. the COVID-19 pandemic, ship- Alliance, encompassing partners Theproject,whichgotmentsofpersonalprotectiveCMA CGM, COSCO Shipping, underwayin2017,ismovingequipmentalsohavemovedEvergreen Line and OOCL. forward ahead of schedule on anacross Boston docks. Withourextensivenew around-the-clock basis, with itsAfter six consecutive yearsinfrastructure in place, Meyran secondphasecompletedearlyof all-time-high cargo levels, thesaid, the Port of Boston looks lastDecember. ThatphasehasPortofBostonexperiencedaforward to being big-ship ready brought outer harbor depths tosingle-digit dip in TEUs handledand bringing in even more ser- 45% of Colombos transshipment volumes originated from or destined 51 feet from 40 feet and those ofin the past COVID-19-impactedvicestothebenefitofallweto an Adani Ports terminal in IndiainnerchannelsservingConleyfiscal year. serve South Asianwatersbenefittingairport, port city, highways, and both India and Sri Lanka in mul- power stations.tiple ways. China already operates the IndianofficialssaythatColomboInternationalCon-connectivity is an important ele- tainer Terminal as a joint ven-ment in context of regional inte- turewiththeSriLankaPorts grationandbilateralrelations.Authority.CriticssaytheChi-This was also a theme advocatednese-fundedprojectsarenot by India for the 14th Summit offinanciallyviableandthatSri the regional South Asian Associ- Lankawillfacedifficultyin ation for Regional Cooperationrepaying the loans.(SAARC) comprising Afghani- In 2017, Sri Lanka leased a stan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,Chinese-builtportlocatednear theMaldives,Nepal,Pakistanbusy shipping routes to a Chi-and Sri Lanka. nesecompanyfor99yearsto APSEZwasalsoselectedend the heavy burden of repay-fordevelopingtheEastCon- ingtheChineseloanusedto tainer Terminal as part of a 2020build it. The facility is part of trilateralpactbetweenIndia,Beijings plan for a line of ports Vessels of Evergreen Line and Ocean Alliance partnersincluding COSCO Shipping, OOCL and CMA CGM Japan and Sri Lanka.stretching from Chinese waters already offer direct weekly service to the Port of Boston from North Asia SriLankanGovernmentto the Persian Gulf.Terminal to 47 feet from 40 feet. Also, the harbors turning basin has been widened to 1,750 feet from 1,200 feet.Adeeperharbor,along with new cranes and significant deepwaterterminalimprove-ments,enhancesthePortof Bostons ability to attract direct oceancarrierservicesfrom Southeast Asia,includingViet-nam,andothercrucialglobal markets,saidMeyran,who joinedtheMassportexecutive team as deputy port director for operationsin2007,following nearlyadecadewithMaersk Line and its Sealand and APM Terminals units. He was elevated to Massports port director from acting port director in late 2019.ThePortofBostons enhanced deep-draft capabilities facilitateitsabilitytoaccom-modatesuper-sizedcontainer-ships, including those transiting therecentlyexpandedPanama Canal, as well as the Suez Canal. customs brokers&freight forwardersi mpoRts , e xpoRtsg oing www . jfmoran.com: 800.944.1041s tRongBothimportandexport'