Cleveland-Europe Freight Service Opens

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) announced the launch of the Express Ocean Freight Service. The new service will run between the Port of Cleveland and Antwerp Belgium via the Saint Lawrence Seaway and is the first regularly scheduled international cargo shipping service to a U.S. port on the Great Lakes in decades.

“The Port of Cleveland has been a leader in finding new ways to expand the use of the Great Lakes Seaway System” U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx said. “As freight shipments continue to increase this service will provide new opportunities and grow businesses in the manufacturing heartland of America.”

The Dutch vessel Fortunagracht out of Antwerp arrived at the port of on April 19 marking the inaugural voyage of the Cleveland-Europe Express Ocean Freight Service. The service will make one round trip each month and is expected to grow as demand increases.

“The new Cleveland-Europe Express Service represents a breakthrough for Great Lakes shipping” SLSDC Administrator Betty Sutton said. “It is an example of how we can use the economic and natural resources of the Great Lakes region to create new jobs and opportunities in powerful and sustainable ways.”