New vessel boosts Kingston's shipping sector

Kingston Wharves Limited and Höegh Autoliners used the arrival of the Höegh Pacific in Kingston this week to underline how Jamaica’s vehicle-shipping business has expanded over the past 16 years. The vessel made its maiden cargo call at the port on Tuesday, Kingston Wharves corporate services and client experience manager Simone Murdock told reporters aboard the ship. She said the call adds capacity to the company’s motor-vehicle transshipment business and is expected to support additional jobs and trade activity. Höegh Autoliners said in an April 13 fleet update that the Höegh Pacific is a 2,450-car-equivalent-unit feeder vessel built for routes linking Central America and the Caribbean with global markets. ### Why does one ship matter to Kingston Wharves? Simone Murdock said Kingston Wharves has used its partnership with Höegh to build out a motor-vehicle transshipment operation that was far smaller when the relationship began. She told journalists the company moved from about 2,000 cars in its first year of the partnership to more than 100,000 vehicles annually. She said the Höegh Pacific’s arrival reflects that expansion and gives the port another modern vessel serving the Caribbean network. (jamaicaobserver.com) Jose Tello, a trade planner in Höegh Autoliners and Shipping Limited’s American Short Sea Division, said, according to the Jamaica Observer, the vessel was built specifically to support the company’s Caribbean network. Höegh Autoliners’ own description of the ship says it was designed for Central America and Caribbean routes, aligning with that account of how the vessel will be deployed. (jamaicaobserver.com) ### What business is Kingston trying to capture? Kingston Wharves said Jamaica functions as a hub where larger liner services connect with regional transshipment moves, including vehicle cargo moving between major manufacturing and destination markets. Murdock said ships from Asia, Europe and the United States call at Kingston and transfer cargo onward through the network. She said that role has helped Jamaica advance its logistics ambitions. (jamaicaobserver.com) Höegh Autoliners says it operates a global roll-on/roll-off network for automobiles, equipment and breakbulk cargo, with more than 3,000 port calls annually and a dedicated Caribbean shortsea service. The company’s trade-route pages list Kingston as part of that regional network. ### How much has Kingston Wharves invested for ships like this? Kingston Wharves said in February 2025 that Berth 7, where it hosted the larger Höegh Aurora, was a US$30 million investment within a broader US$100 million expansion over the previous decade. (jamaicaobserver.com) Chairman Jeffrey Hall said at the time that the company had made those investments to stay efficient and competitive in a global industry. The company also said Höegh had established Kingston Wharves as its regional motor-vehicle transshipment hub about 15 years earlier. (hoeghautoliners.com) Mark Williams, Kingston Wharves’ chief executive, said during the Höegh Aurora call in February 2025 that the company’s longer-term aim was to move more than 500,000 vehicles a year. He said that growth would depend on further investment and would add value and employment opportunities. ### What are officials saying about jobs? (kingstonwharves.com) Murdock said the Höegh Pacific would create more than 200 jobs and provide work experience while increasing the volume of trade handled at Kingston Wharves each year. The Jamaica Observer attributed that figure to her remarks during the vessel visit. Neither Kingston Wharves nor Höegh Autoliners, in the materials reviewed, gave a timetable for when those positions would be added or how many would be permanent. (kingstonwharves.com) Kingston Wharves describes itself as a multi-user port and logistics provider operating in a Special Economic Zone and says it runs around the clock. The company’s website says it offers vessel berthing, stevedoring, transshipment, warehousing and related logistics services. ### What comes next for the Höegh Pacific? Höegh Autoliners said on April 13 that the Höegh Pacific had just been added to its fleet after a naming ceremony held the previous week. (jamaicaobserver.com) The company said the ship was delivered ahead of schedule and would serve the Central America and Caribbean trade. Kingston Wharves’ and Höegh Autoliners’ public schedule pages list vessel movements and route information for customers tracking future calls through Kingston. (kingstonwharves.com) (hoeghautoliners.com)