HAWAII's Matson line, a leading American carrier in the Pacific, has launched a US-flagged service between Honolulu and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, reducing cargo transit times by as many as eight days, reports the American Journal of Transportation.
The new service will call at three ports in the RMI, Kwajalein, Ebeye and Majuro every 17 days. 
Matson purchased a 700-TEU, US-flagged ship to operate the new service. Christened Kamokuiki, or 'small island or vessel' in the Hawaiian language, the vessel is well suited to serving island communities with two 45 ton cranes onboard, hydraulic folding hatch covers and high manoeuvrability that allows docking without tugs.
The vessel currently serves Kwajalein, Ebeye and Majuro from the US west coast via Guam, where westbound containerised and bulk cargo is transshipped to Matson's Micronesia service. 
The new service from the US west coast to Kwajalein, Ebeye and Majuro via Honolulu will deliver cargo with a transit time of two weeks, compared to three weeks or more with the current service.