Miami-operated SeaFreight Line Limited has commenced weekly, fixed-day service calls from Manzanillo International Terminal, Panama to Grand Cayman.

The new service began with first vessel leaving Panama on Tuesday, 30 October and will continue every Tuesday thereafter. The service from MIT Panama to Grand Cayman will be weekly, with a seven-day transit.



The company announced that it had appointed CB Fenton Panama as Agents in those respective markets.

“This is an exciting time for us as we continue to expand the services that we can offer to our clients. Panama is a traditional and growing trading partner within our area and our schedule will present great opportunities for cargo to and from Panama with very attractive transits,” the carrier said.
The Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce led a fact-finding mission to Panama in January 2006, followed by two trade missions to the Central American country.

“Panama and in particular the Free Zone in Colon, has looked like an attractive alternative to Miami for Cayman to buy goods,” said Wil Pineau, Chief Executive of the Chamber following the original trade mission.

William Piguero, owner of Sounds & Things and a leading official in the trade missions to Panama, said the latest development is good news for businesses in the Cayman Islands and Panama.

“We’re excited to know that SeaFreight Line has seen the importance of the market to both countries,” he said.

“We’re hopefully that this will be of great benefit to merchants and SeaFreight Line.”

MIT started operations on 16 April 1995 at a location near the Atlantic opening of the Panama Canal immediately adjacent to the Colon Free Trade Zone (CFZ).

MIT offers efficient and reliable port services to shipping lines transiting the Panama Canal or serving the South America and Caribbean region.

MIT has direct access into the CFZ and highway access to the cities in the Republic of Panama and other Central American countries.

During the last Chamber visit in March 2006, delegates discovered that brand name clothing and shoes were available at 30 to 40 percent less than costs in the US. Electronics were estimated to be 10 to 15 percent less than in Miami.

It was also apparent that there was a broad range of products available for many industries including construction, telecommunications, food and beverage, and household furnishings.

SeaFreight Line has been providing ocean transportation services for 15 years and currently operates 5 x 1,000 20-foot equivalent units (TEU) and 4 x 500 TEU vessels between Florida, the Caribbean and North Coast South American Trades.

In addition to the new port of call, the carrier already offers weekly fixed-day service between Jacksonville and Port Everglades Florida and Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, Curacao, Grand Cayman, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Margarita, Montego Bay, St Lucia, St. Vincent, Suriname, Puerto Cabello and LaGuaira, Venezuela as well as a twice-weekly service to Kingston, Jamaica and Point Lisas, Trinidad.

The carrier offers various sizes of dry and refrigerated containers as well as accepts break bulk cargo such as boats, vehicles etc. on flat racks.