CLEVELAND — June 23, 2025 — The Port of Cleveland has signed a strategic agreement with Shannon Foynes Port Company (SFPC), Ireland’s second-largest port operator, to strengthen trade ties and unlock new business and economic opportunities between the Great Lakes region and Europe.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) builds on the longstanding historical and economic connections between the U.S. and Ireland. It aims to grow transatlantic commerce, attract new investment, and offer companies on both sides of the ocean a faster, greener, and more efficient alternative to traditional coastal shipping routes.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) is built on the strong historical ties between the Great Lakes Region and the West of Ireland. As evidenced by earlier shipping as part of the Cleveland-Europe Express, the Port of Cleveland is strategically located to provide direct access to the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes, a $6 trillion regional economy.

“What makes this partnership especially powerful is the unique positioning of our two ports,” said David Gutheil, Interim President and CEO of the Port of Cleveland. “Together we provide access to two huge international markets that present enormous opportunity for business development. In signing this MOU, we want to explore every opportunity to strengthen that connection and drive business development on both sides of the Atlantic. We’re genuinely really excited about what’s ahead and confident in the mutually benefits this collaboration can deliver.”

Shannon Foynes is located on the Shannon Estuary, one of Europe’s deepest natural harbors and adjacent to the world’s busiest shipping lanes. The port is strategically positioned as a key cost effective and efficient European gateway for transatlantic trade.

Both ports offer cost-effective, multimodal access to major commercial and industrial markets, providing a unique value proposition to companies seeking faster, greener and more reliable alternatives to traditional coastal shipping routes. The move is very much in keeping with U.S.-Irish trade relations as it seeks to support and promote international trade between the two.

Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne said: “The partnership between the Port of Cleveland and Ireland’s Shannon Foynes Port is an exciting development for Cuyahoga County.

“The agreement will open new opportunities to grow our economy, attract investment, and enhance our global trade connections,” he continued. “By strengthening our international relationships, we’re helping local businesses reach new markets and bringing long-term economic benefits to our communities.”

Patrick Keating, Shannon Foynes’ Port CEO added; “This MOU reflects the ambition of Shannon Foynes Port. “While we provide critical access for trade to and from Ireland, we are also a key gateway into and out of Europe for transatlantic trade. That is what essentially underpins this agreement with the Port of Cleveland as we will together seek to advance the enormous, each-way trade opportunity from this global trade crossroad. We look forward to working with the Port of Cleveland, which has similar ambition and values to us, to explore the full breadth of these opportunities for the greater good of our respective organizations and communities we serve.”

About the Port of Cleveland

The Port Authority was established in 1968 with a mission which includes collaborating with government and private partners to assist private industry in retaining and creating jobs through the provision of access to waterborne transportation facilities. The Port Authority in 2014 initiated the Cleveland-Europe Express, which was and is a transformative service that reintroduced container service in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway. The Port is instrumental in promoting waterborne trade in northeast Ohio, and whose harbor moves over 13 million metric tons of global cargo annually. The Port’s local benefits include supporting over 23,000 jobs and provides an economic benefit of more than $7.0 billion.

About SFPC

Shannon Foynes Port Company (SFPC) (www.sfpc.ie) is the second largest Irish Port Operator handling in excess of eleven million tonnes of solid and liquid cargo annually through the six terminals currently operational within the Shannon Estuary. The Company is Ireland’s largest bulk port company, having a 61% share of the market. The recently launched Irish National Ports Policy defines Shannon Foynes Port Company as a Port of National Significance (Tier 1). Shannon Foynes Port Company is a Commercial Semi State Port. It has statutory jurisdiction over all marine activities on a 500km2 area on the Shannon Estuary, stretching from Kerry/Loop Heads to Limerick City.