Freight logistics company Kotahi, shipping line Maersk and the port collaborated to arrange the loading of Maersk Shams, which is part of a service linking Latin America with North Asia via Tauranga.
Help is also on its way for South Island exporters and ports, with two extra services calling next month to reduce port congestion.
Kotahi chief executive David Ross says freight congestion and delayed shipping services due to covid-19 continue to cause problems for ports and exporters, prompting Kotahi and Maersk to combine and provide extra freight capacity.
Usually the service collects 2000-2500 containers from Tauranga, but Maersk allocated more space to New Zealand exporters, with Maersk Shams on Monday loading 5326 TEU (20-foot equivalent) containers, of which 1914 were refrigerated.
Ross says the single shipment was the largest ever to leave NZ; 80% of the containers were Kotahi customers, with the balance the customers of other freight logistics companies.
A second vessel, the Sally Maersk, is due in mid-June to take a similar number of containers.
Ross says the consignment was mainly dairy products, meat and fish.
Next month two additional Maersk vessels will call at South Island ports to collect predominantly dairy cargo, which Ross says will also reduce port congestion.
