TRIESTE – The Port of Trieste is back on the main deep-sea lanes. With an update to the Dragon service, MSC is adding a new call at Trieste on the Asia–Mediterranean leg, restoring a direct link with the Far East and China in particular, although limited to imports.

The service includes a new call at the port’s Pier VII, cutting transit times by five days compared with the previous setup. The Friuli Venezia Giulia gateway thus becomes an entry point for Asian cargo bound not only for the North-East, but also for other Northern Adriatic and Upper Tyrrhenian ports, thanks to connections to Koper, Rijeka, Venice, Ravenna and Ancona.

The port rotation also introduces a new and significant element for exports. After Trieste, vessels continue to Gioia Tauro and the main Tyrrhenian ports, then cross the Atlantic and call directly in the United States. New York, Boston, Norfolk and Charleston are now part of the service sequence, giving Trieste a direct outbound link to the US market, with no intermediate transhipment.

The first Dragon call in the new configuration will be operated by the MSC Thais, due to arrive in Trieste after a rotation that includes Busan, Ningbo, Shanghai, Nansha and Yantian, confirming the direct connection with the main Chinese and Far East hubs.

For Trieste, MSC’s decision marks a return to direct long-haul traffic with a clear profile: Asia for imports and the United States for exports. This positioning strengthens the port’s role as a key logistics hub for intercontinental flows in the Northern Adriatic.

«The direct connection with Trieste will materialise with a fixed weekly vessel from early April. The goal of boosting container volumes compared with the 2025 figures is realistic; the introduction of the Dragon service is a step towards a gradual recovery of the volumes seen in past years. Container growth will be even stronger once flows through the Suez Canal resume». Marco Consalvo, President of the Port of Trieste.

Full rotation:
Busan – Ningbo – Shanghai – Nansha – Yantian – Singapore – Trieste – Gioia Tauro – Genoa – La Spezia – Sines – New York – Boston – Norfolk – Charleston – Freeport, Grand Bahama – Busan