The 10,000 TEU containership Zim Antwerp owned by Israel’s shipping company ZIM passed on June 26 under the elevated Bayonne Bridge in New York, becoming the first vessel of such size to call Maher Terminals.

The Bayonne Bridge, connecting New Jersey to New York, was raised to allow the arrival of larger ships following the expansion of the Panama Canal.

Upon arrival of Zim Antwerp, an official ceremony took place on board the boxship, with the participation of Port Authority of NY & NJ, Maher Terminals and ZIM USA representatives.

The Post-Panamax containership arrived in New York after calling ports in China, crossing the expanded Panama Canal and calling the US ports of Savannah, Charleston and Norfolk. It will head next to Halifax before returning to Asia, according to ZIM.

The 2009-built Zim Antwerp is part of the ZIM Container Service Pacific (ZCP) service which was recently upgraded as part of the company’s renewed network. Two of Zim Antwerp’s sister ships, Zim Rotterdam and Zim Djibouti, are planned to arrive later this year as part of this service.

George Goldman, President of ZIM USA, said that the Asia-East Coast trade, which is also served by the ZIM Seven Star Express (Z7S) service “is expected to continue to grow following the expansion of the Panama Canal.” 

“Zim Integrated Shipping Services has been a loyal container customer of Maher Terminals dating back to the opening of our first terminal in the early seventies. Now, nearly fifty years later, we are privileged to share in this momentous occasion of the 10,062 TEU Zim Antwerp calling in the Port of NY/NJ at our facility under the newly raised roadway of the Bayonne Bridge,” Gary Cross, Maher Terminals’ President & CEO, commented.