#ports&shipping - A new container shipping service connecting Dublin and Liverpool along with an Iberian network of ports is to begin later this month, writes Jehan Ashmore

The company WEC Lines is a Dutch operator that will connect the Irish Sea ports with Huelva, Vigo in Spain and Leixoes, Portugal. The weekly service will use 300TEU capacity containerships, however the new operation is expected to grow significantly once trade develops.

According to the Port of Liverpool, WEC Lines in 2016 had begun weekly calls at the UK north-west city port with Lisbon, Setubal, Leixoes and Sines, with other links to Ireland, Scotland, Morocco, Spain and the Canary Islands.

The Port of Liverpool (Peel Ports Group) has set up The Cargo200i campaign which calls for importers and exporters whose goods begin or end their journey in the north of the UK to switch current delivery of ocean freight. This would involve a shift in ships using ports in the south-east of England to that of the centrally-located Port of Liverpool.

The initiative aims to cut freight mileage by 200 million miles by 2020. For further information on the Cargo200i campaign click here.