Maersk's Costa Rica Express (CRX) service will make its first call at DP World Southampton, giving Central American fruit suppliers access to the UK and Western Europe.
The main import product for the new service is bananas, which will be transported in reefers.
The Maersk CRX is the third new international shipping service to move to DP World's UK ports this year, following several new arrivals in 2021. Its rotation is Antwerp (Belgium), Bremerhaven (Germany), Veracruz (Mexico), Altamira (Mexico), Big Creek (US), Manzanillo (Pan) (Mexico), Moin (Costa Rica) and Cork (Ireland) to Southampton (UK) and back again.
The first ship, Songa Puma, is expected to call DP World Southampton on 5 August.
“Operating two ports -- Southampton and London Gateway -- means we offer unrivalled flexibility and choice to customers. Volumes can be switched quickly and easily between locations, giving customers more control over their supply chains and increasing security of supply for critical goods coming into the UK. No other logistics business can offer this level of flexibility and certainty,” said Ernst Schulze, UK chief executive of DP World.
