PACIFICA Shipping announced it had acquired a 1700-TEU vessel for deployment on its premium coastal shipping service in New Zealand.

MV Moana Chief will meet growing domestic and international transhipping cargo demand. It is expected to begin operations formally next month.

Pacifica Shipping is part of the China Navigation Company, which is also the parent company of Swire Shipping.

The company has a long history in the Land of the Long White Cloud, with the first Swire vessel calling at a Kiwi port some 130 years ago. Today, Swire operates multiple liner and bulk vessels per month, connecting NZ to Australia, Asia, North America, PNG, Pacific Islands and the rest of the world.

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“With the acquisition and an increase in tonnage from 1,100 to 1,700 TEU, we strongly believe Pacifica will be in a good position to meet rising domestic cargo and transhipment demand,” Brodie Stevens, country manager, Swire New Zealand, said.

“We want to expand the range of valuable domestic transport solutions currently already provided by Pacifica, and this will enable us to do so. Coastal shipping in New Zealand continues to play an important part in the country’s domestic economy. It is also highly complementary with road and rail networks.”

Pacifica currently operates one NZ-flagged coastal container ship, and is a member of the New Zealand Shipping Federation Inc.