April 16th, 2026 – A new direct shipping connection between Asia and the U.S. East Coast is strengthening Jacksonville’s role in global trade, marking another milestone for ports along the eastern seaboard.
CMA CGM, together with its Ocean Alliance partners—Cosco, OOCL, and Evergreen Marine—has introduced a weekly container service linking major Asian markets directly to the Port of Jacksonville (Jaxport) in Florida. Known as the Chesapeake Bay Express (CBX), the service is scheduled to make its inaugural arrival in June.
The CBX rotation spans key international hubs, beginning in Vung Tau, Vietnam, and calling at Yantian and Shanghai in China; Busan, South Korea; and Kobe, Japan. From there, vessels transit the Panama Canal before making stops along the U.S. East Coast, including Norfolk, Charleston, Savannah, and finally Jacksonville, before returning to Vietnam.
Vung Tau plays a critical role in this network. Located near Ho Chi Minh City within the Cai Mep–Thi Vai Port Cluster, it handled approximately 152 million metric tonnes of cargo in 2024—about one-third of Vietnam’s total container volume. Its ability to accommodate ultra-large container vessels of 14,000 TEUs or more makes it a strategic gateway for long-haul international trade.
At Jaxport, cargo operations will be supported by SSA Marine at the recently modernized SSA Jacksonville Container Terminal at Blount Island Marine Terminal. The addition of the Ocean Alliance service reinforces Jacksonville’s growing importance as a global logistics hub, enhancing routing flexibility between the southeastern United States and major Asian markets while reflecting ongoing investments in port infrastructure and efficiency.
As the final U.S. port of call on the CBX route—and the busiest port in Florida by volume—Jacksonville is well positioned to serve as a key center for equipment repositioning and to support faster transit times for U.S. export cargo.
Further strengthening its capabilities, Jaxport is progressing on a project to increase the air draft at Blount Island to 205 feet, with completion expected by the end of 2026. This enhancement will allow for greater vessel access and continued growth in international trade volumes.
