Port of Oakland welcomes biggest ship ever this week

Coronavirus may be hampering global trade but it hasn't broken the supply chain at the Port of Oakland.

The latest evidence: the largest ship ever to call in Oakland arrives this week. The container vessel MSC Anna is scheduled to berth at the Port April 16.

As reported in LM this week, Oakland has been hit hard by the pandemic – like allCalifornia ports– but this latest episode of resilience is encouraging new for shippers working in the most vibrant and innovative business communities in the nation.

The ship will tie up at Oakland International Container Terminal on the Oakland Estuary. The Port said that the 1,312-foot-long vessel is on special assignment from Geneva-based shipping line MSC. It’s collecting a backlog of empty containers in Southern California before arriving in Oakland. It’s scheduled to spend 24 hours here discharging import containers and loading exports.

“We’ve spent years, and millions of dollars keeping ahead of the pace of trade and the size of ships,” said Port of Oakland Executive Director Danny Wan. “We’re ready for the MSC Anna and we’ll welcome her back any time.”

Industry analysts note, however, that is unlikely the port will attract a fully-loaded mega vessel for a first call from Asia…especially now.

Still, the arrival is gratifying for Oakland, which has growth aspirations despite recent cargo volume declines from the coronavirus pandemic.

The MSC Anna can carry up to 19,200 20-foot cargo containers. That makes it one of the largest vessels ever to visit a North American port. It's bigger than the CMA Benjamin Franklin which came to Oakland in 2016. That ship can carry 18,000 20-foot containers.

Over the past decade, the port has dredged waterways and raised container cranes to receive so-called megaships. The largest cargo vessels anywhere in North America arrive in Oakland daily, the port said.