Rickmers-Linie and Maersk Line yesterday announced a partnership to provide breakbulk and project cargo-shipping using two newly-built multi-purpose ships to be operated under the US flag.
The new 19,000DWT vessels, 'Maersk Illinois' and 'Maersk Texas', each have a combined maximum lift of 480 tonnes and are twice the size of US-flagged multipurpose vessels currently in operation. The service will operate as Maersk-Rickmers US Flag Project Carrier (Maersk-Rickmers).
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 US flag.