International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI)'s Georgian subsidiary Batumi International Container Terminal (BICT) announced that it has partnered with a shipping firm to link their services to the Mediterranean region.
Through its collaboration with the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), BICT will begin its Batumi-Gioia Tauro service this month.
According to ICTSI, the service will enable direct port access and reduce transit times to and from Türkiye and the Mediterranean Sea, "allowing businesses to receive goods more quickly, resulting in reduced lead times and improved supply chain efficiency across the regions."
“MSC’s enhanced service can help boost Georgia’s foreign trade by establishing a direct link with North Africa, Portugal and Spain. The addition of direct port gives businesses access to more locations, opening new trade routes and providing more options for shipping goods between Batumi and Gioia Tauro,” said Nikoloz Gogoli, BICT chief executive officer.
MSC will make calls to and from Batumi port on a weekly basis.
The service rotation will pass through Turkish ports Tekirdağ, Derince, and Aliaga, then to Marsaxlokk, Malta; Algeiers, Algeria; Casablanca, Morocco; Sines, Portugal; Valencia, Spain; Gioia Tauro, Italy; Burgas, Bulgaria; ending at Batumi, Georgia.
It will also help BICT's customers to expand their network connections, increase competitiveness, and explore new markets.
BICT has been operating the Batumi port since 2007 following its acquisition of a 48-year lease to man the terminal with exclusive rights to container handling at the port.