The Port of Fernandina is set to join Green Tide’s U.S.-Mexico shipping network this December, marking the maritime logistics firm’s second American port of call after Philadelphia. The new route strengthens Fernandina’s position in regional container trade and opens new opportunities for wood pulp and forest product exports.

Green Tide currently operates a direct maritime service between Tuxpan and Coatzacoalcos, Mexico and Philadelphia, offering sustainable cargo transport options. The Fernandina service will launch with monthly vessel calls before increasing to biweekly operations, supported by the long-term charter of the vessel Whale Orca.

Relay Terminals President Ted McNair, who led the negotiations, said the deal represents a major strategic win for Fernandina amid competition from ports such as Jacksonville and Savannah. He highlighted wood pulp as an ideal cargo type for the port’s storage and handling capabilities, noting its potential to anchor a broader range of wood product traffic linked to shifting trade flows from South America through Mexico.

The service also creates opportunities for transloading bulk goods into containers for re-export, leveraging Mexico’s container-focused port infrastructure. “That’s like the dream, bring in something, warehouse it and then re-export it via container,” McNair said.

Fernandina will use its Mobile Harbor cranes to maintain fast vessel turnaround times, while Green Tide’s ship gear offers additional flexibility. McNair said the agreement, inked during the Breakbulk Americas conference, is initially for one year with plans to scale up as volumes grow.

Learn more about how Fernandina’s new Green Tide service could reshape North American trade corridors.