Shipping line to begin serving Savannah

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Mediterranean Shipping Company, the world&#39;s fourth-largest container line with a major presence in Charleston, South Carolina, will begin serving Savannah next month, causing some uneasiness on the Charleston waterfront. <br> <br> Local port officials see the move as another warning Charleston must expand. <br> <br> A spokesman for the South Carolina Ports Authority, Byron Miller, said ``Savannah has had significant gains, while we&#39;ve been stymied in our efforts to attract new business.<br> <br> &#34;Any time you see important and valued customers opening up operations in competing ports, it&#39;s not encouraging for the local port community.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Business at the Georgia Ports Authority&#39;s Savannah terminal is up, partly because major lines have shifted cargo from Charleston. Mediterranean Shipping isn&#39;t pulling cargo from Charleston but, beginning February first, will send two ships a week to Savannah. <br> <br> The company said it was going to Savannah because it&#39;s a different market with bigger distribution centers and importers. <br> <br> The move comes after Evergreen and Maersk Sealand, the world&#39;s two largest carriers, started new services in Savannah at the expense of Charleston. Both said Savannah&#39;s role as a distribution center for large retailers was the main reason. <br> <br> The State Ports Authority wants to expand on Daniel Island, but the plans have met opposition from local officials and conservation groups, who say a new terminal would generate too much traffic and affect the quality of life.

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