U.S. flag project cargo partnership formed
"Maersk Illinois" is seen nearing completion in China
The partnership brings together the complementary capabilities of the two companies to offer customers a new option for moving large and heavy cargoes worldwide. Customers seeking heavy-lift multipurpose vessels under the U.S. flag are said to benefit from this partnership. The new 19,000 dwt vessels, named "Maersk Illinois" and "Maersk Texas", each have a combined maximum lift of 480 t and are twice the size of U.S. flag multipurpose vessels currently in operation. The service will operate as Maersk-Rickmers U.S. Flag Project Carrier, Maersk-Rickmers for short.
The ships are currently under the Marshall Islands flag and are preparing for their maiden voyages. In November, the vessels are scheduled to complete the process to bring them under the U.S. flag. As the shipowner, MLL is responsible for the reflagging, a process it has completed almost 40 times since 2005.
