SIMIC

The new trade route begins in Yantian and stops in Cai Mep, Vietnam.

"It's great to see the efforts of Massport, Governors Baker's office, and Zim come together in a true public/private partnership to open this new service from the Port of Boston," said International Forest Products CEO Dan Kraft.

"A direct call from Boston to SE Asia is critical to International Forest Products' (IFP) capitalising on the emerging opportunities we see in that region. This service is a welcome solution for our New England-based exports and set against the backdrop of what has been a challenging 18 months in supply chain we're very excited for this opportunity."

Zim is 10th largest ocean shipping line globally and will deploy a bi-weekly service connecting Southeast Asia with northeast US.

Vietnam is the third-largest containerised trading partner among the six New England states, behind China and India.

Said Demcratic state senator Nick Collins: "The strategic investments in the Port of Boston made by the state and federal government continue to bear fruit.

"Three years ago, Governor Baker, Congressman Lynch, and I hosted Zim leadership and Israeli officials. We began conversations and the result is a Southeast Asian service calling on Conley Terminal from Israel."

Said Massport CEO Lisa Wieland: "We knew being 'Big Ship Ready' was essential to attracting new direct services to expand the global offerings for our customers throughout New England.

"Developing new trade routes has been a top priority and we are proud to bring ZIM into the mix of shipping lines we serve. We are committed to support over 2,500 New England importers and exporters that rely on the Port, as well as the thousands of workers, and have significantly enhanced our capabilities to handle more cargo and increase our productivity so that Conley can be competitive in the future and allow for continued growth," she said.