Chilean carrier CSAV has begun its new weekly Far East service, America Express (AMEX), to Broward County's Port Everglades. 

"For CSAV to initiate a trade route from Asia at this time is significant because it signals a positive move to stimulate the global economy," said Port Everglades Director Phil Allen. "CSAV appears to be positioning its company advantageously for economic recovery." 

CSAV's new AMEX service includes a rotation of 10 3,500-TEU (20-foot equivalent units, the standard measurement for shipping containers) vessels making weekly calls to Port Everglades from Asia, through the Panama Canal, to the U.S. East Coast and the Caribbean. The service rotation is Ningbo, Shanghai, Qingdao, Xingang, Busan, Kingston, Port Everglades, New York-New Jersey, Charleston, Kingston, Cartagena, and returns to Ningbo. 

"The AMEX service will operate at Florida International Terminal (FIT), one of the fastest growing terminal operators in Port Everglades," said Jose A. Diaz, vice president and general manager for the company. In January of this year, FIT received its ISO 9001:2008 certification, a quality management certification awarded by the International Organization of Standardization. 

In addition to aggressively marketing in Chile for continued North-South trade traffic, Broward County has participated in two trade missions to China where officials from Port Everglades met with the directors of some of the Far East's major shipping companies. The Port also has a sister seaport agreement with Xiamen to further develop market opportunities. "We will continue to pursue opportunities in this region," said Carlos Buqueras, Port Everglades director of business development. 

Port Everglades is one of the nation's leading container ports and a trade gateway to Latin America and Caribbean. Port Everglades has direct access to the interstate highway system, is within two miles of the FEC rail hub and is just one mile from the Atlantic Shipping Lanes. Ongoing capital improvements and expansion ensure that Port Everglades will have the ability to handle future growth in container traffic. A world-class cargo handling facility, Port Everglades serves as an ideal point of entry for products shipped around the world.