CMA CGM adds Port of Richmond as destination

Ocean carrier CMA CGM has signed an agreement with the Port of Virginia to add the Port of Richmond as a destination for shippers booking cargo on its ships.

That means importers and exporters can book their cargo to travel through Richmond, whereas before they could only book it through Norfolk, explained Port of Virginia spokesman Joe Harris.

Currently, barge service is offered between Port of Virginia’s largest marine terminals in Hampton Roads ­— Norfolk International Terminals and the Virginia International Gateway — and the Port of Richmond. The barge service is growing and currently is offered three days a week. Harris says that may soon grow to four times a week as volumes grow.

CMA CGM joins several other large carriers offering Richmond as a destination.

The Port of Virginia has a five-year lease that ends this year, but it is renegotiating that lease with the city. “It fits in our efforts to secure a long-term lease at that facility, and if we do then you’ll see some significant investment in the facility,” says Harris.

According to an article from the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Richmond City Council has received three bids to lease the port. The council is expected to make a decision later this month.