Shipping giant Maersk is to start two dedicated New Zealand coastal shipping services.

One service would link Auckland, Tauranga, Timaru, and Lyttelton, while the other would see Nelson replace Auckland and link with the other three ports.

That would mean fortnightly connections for Auckland and Nelson, and weekly for the others.

Maersk said the aim was to offer reliable coastal services and connections for domestic and international cargo.

“The additional investment into a dedicated New Zealand coastal service, in conjunction with recent announcement to build a cold chain facility in Hamilton, will create significant value for our New Zealand customers,” the company said in a statement.

“Maersk’s expanded local product portfolio in coastal shipping, warehousing, cold chain logistics landside delivery and value-added services will connect New Zealand in new ways and enhance our overall product offering to provide integrated and flexible supply chain solutions.”

The company has operated for 25 years in New Zealand.

The new coastal service would be branded as Maersk coastal connect.

There have been growing calls to revive a coastal shipping service with New Zealand ships, as the schedules of international vessels become increasingly erratic due to the pressure of unprecedented global demand.

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