The Razon-controlled International Container Terminal Services Inc. said on Thursday that its Mexico operation under Contecon Manzanillo SA de CV, is now part of WAN HAI Lines’ Asia-South America West Coast 2 (WSA2) service, boosting its logistics coverage between the two continents.
The WSA2 service is jointly operated by Pacific International Lines, Evergreen Marine Corp., and COSCO Shipping Lines with 11 vessels in rotation. The service made its inaugural call at Contecon on August 11 with the arrival of the ship WAN HAI A16.
In a statement, ICTSI said the line “improves the logistics coverage between Asia and the west coast of South America, enabling faster and more efficient operations across the supply chain.”
The service makes weekly calls to the ports of Kaohsiung, Shekou, Hong Kong, Ningbo, Shanghai, Manzanillo, Lázaro Cárdenas, Puerto Quetzal, Buenaventura, Callao, and Guayaquil, before returning to Kaohsiung.
“The arrival of the WSA2 service to our terminal is another milestone in our expansion strategy and consolidation as a key logistics hub for international trade. This project is part of the terminal’s growth, which began at the end of 2022, with the clear goal of completion in 2026,” said José Antonio Contreras, Contecon Manzanillo chief executive officer (CEO).
Contreras said the WSA2’s transfer to Contecon, after nearly two decades of calling on the Port of Manzanillo, follows the terminal’s recent expansion and deployment of the largest ship-to-shore cranes in Latin America, which result in faster and more efficient operations.
“These enhancements, combined with state-of-the-art technology, enable Contecon Manzanillo to service the newest generations of vessels,” he said.
With the facilities within Contecon Manzanillo’s modern port infrastructure, the WSA2 service grants customers on the west coast of Latin America access to specialized and more direct coverage of major Asian ports, leading to optimized transit times and operating costs, ICTSI said.
It also strengthens the port of Manzanillo’s competitiveness and expands logistics options for Mexico’s foreign trade, it added.
In June 2010, ICTSI signed a 34-year concession for the development and operation of the Second Specialized Container Terminal (TEC-II) at the Port of Manzanillo in Mexico, which is now Contecon Manzanillo.
