Port of Wilmington Handles its First Ford Vehicle Exports

The Port of Wilmington, Delaware, a major U.S. East Coast hub for vehicle exports, has loaded its first shipment of new Ford vehicles, welcoming the Alliance St. Louis.

The Höegh Autoliners ro/ro Alliance St. Louis took on a cargo of popular Ford models – the F150 pickup truck, Taurus, Edge, Explorer and Lincoln Continental – in the first-ever port call of a long term contract secured by the port's logistics partner AutoPort, Inc. With three to four ship calls per month, Höegh will be delivering Ford products to destinations in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait. The Port of Wilmington is the Mid-Atlantic leader in vehicle exports to the Middle East, Mediterranean and West Africa regions. 

“We are particularly thrilled to welcome Ford and its portfolio of outstanding vehicles to the Port of Wilmington in support of its direct distribution to global markets,” said Eric Casey, CEO of GT USA Wilmington.

Last year, GT USA - the American division of terminal operator Gulftainer - signed a 50-year concession agreement with the state of Delaware to manage and operate the Port of Wilmington. Under the terms of the deal, GT will invest $600 million in the port, including $400 million for a new container facility on a nearby brownfield site.  GT also operates Port Canaveral's container terminal, the Canaveral Cargo Terminal (CCT).