/ar/newsroom/news/2022/february/new-intermodal-solution-for-the-djiboutiethiopia-corridor-enhances-mscs-east-africa-offering
New Intermodal Solution for the Djibouti-Ethiopia Corridor Enhances MSC’s East Africa Offering
23/02/2022
MSC is pleased to announce the newly established intermodal route between Djibouti & Ethiopia. As the first MSC intermodal service in Ethiopia, it is a key milestone for progress in the region.
Ethiopia is the origin land of coffee and currently the world’s fifth largest coffee exporting country, the largest in Africa.[1] Ethiopia also has a fast-growing textile/garment export industry.
The new solution combines road and rail transport to facilitate smooth imports and exports out of landlocked Ethiopia.
MSC offers two weekly services, connecting our global network to the Port of Djibouti, Ethiopia’s main gateway:
- The PETRA service: Connecting China, Far East, Southeast Asia and all cargo routed via Singapore to Djibouti
- The NWC IPAK service: A direct connection to North Europe, and a connection to the US, MED, and IPAK regions via our regional transshipment hub King Abdullah Port (Saudi Arabia).
Key transit times from Djibouti via road for imports:
- Addis Ababa: 3 days
- Hawassa: 4 days
- Modjo: 3 days (no service to dry port)
Key transit times to Djibouti via rail for exports:
- Indode Rail Station: 1 day by rail
- Modjo Rail Station: 1 day by rail
As MSC is one of the leading carriers in the region, we are constantly seeking to expand our services, and the Ethiopian Hinterlands is one of the fastest growing corridors in the East Africa region. The new solution enables stronger relationships between MSC and our customers, as we can provide more complete logistics solutions in the region.
Soji Thomas Korah, General Manager of MSC Ethiopia, says “We have been enthusiastically exploring our options for the past few years, and are excited to offer this intermodal solution that we believe will add value to MSC service. The Far East, Southeast Asia, U.S, IPAK, & NWC are all key markets for both Djibouti and Ethiopia. Our new intermodal services will be vital for coffee and garment export shipments to these regions.”
Interested in learning about MSC’s intermodal offerings? Read more here: msc.com/our-services/intermodal
Should you have any questions, please contact your local MSC representatives in our global network of more than 500 offices.
[1] Foreign Agricultural Service/USDA Global Market Analysis, https://apps.fas.usda.gov/psdonline/circulars/coffee.pdf, p.7