Mediterranean Shipping Co.'s (MSC) first-ever service to Davao began on December 20 with a call to Davao International Container Terminal (DICT) in Panabo, Davao del Norte. 

The MSC Ancona III HZ348R commenced its maiden voyage to DICT as part of MSC's extended Lang Co service. 

Davao port has been newly incorporated into the Lang Co service, with the updated rotation covering Qui Nhon, Da Nang, Yantian, Shekou, Ho Chi Minh, Vung Tau, Singapore, Tanjung Pelepas, Port Klang, Belawan, Singapore, Jakarta, Batangas, Manila North Harbour, Davao, Shekou, Yantian, Hong Kong, Nansha, and back to Qui Nhon.

With a transit time of approximately five days from Shekou and seven days from Hong Kong, MSC said this service will particularly benefit customers with time-sensitive cargo such as bananas and durians.

From South China, Lang Co now connects to the entire MSC network, especially the Middle East market, offering a competitive transit time of 23 days to Jebel Ali for banana cargo.

In a PortCalls Mindanao Shipping Conference presentation in March 2023, DICT's first vice president, Bonifacio Licayan, said bananas and pineapples constituted 87% of the total export containers at DICT in 2022. The remaining exports include agri-based products like coco products, palm oil, rubber products, and banana and pineapple production items, such as scrap paper. Imports at DICT were dominated by hardware (52%), followed by other products (22%), packaging materials (18%), coffee (5%), and household goods (4%).

Aside from the Lang Co service, MSC has expanded its New Origami and Kaguya services, adding calls to Manila North Harbor.

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