HONOLULU , April 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Matson, Inc. (NYSE: MATX), a leading U.S. carrier in the Pacific, has launched a previously announced new direct service to Tahiti that provides twice monthly, fixed day arrivals from the U.S. mainland and the fastest transit times from Hawaii to French Polynesia.

The new Tahiti service is an extension of Matson's South Pacific Express (SPX) service that connects the carrier's existing U.S. West Coast network serving all three major ports, and its New Zealand based network serving islands of the South Pacific. In February, Matson announced the addition of a second vessel to its SPX service, which enables direct calls on Tahiti and Tonga , along with improved reliability of fixed-day arrivals every two weeks. The second vessel, Maria P, is soon to be renamed Samoana.

With the addition of Papeete, Tahiti as a port of call, Matson now provides export shipping from the United States and Hawaii to many of the major islands of Polynesia , including Samoa , American Samoa , the Cook Islands (Rarotonga and Aitutaki), Tonga (Nukualofa and Vava'u), Niue , New Zealand , and Fiji ( Suva and Lautoka).

In addition to Matson's unmatched reliability and award-winning customer service, advantages of the new Tahiti service include Matson's dedicated terminal operations in Hawaii , Long Beach , Oakland, and Seattle , affording customers:

Early receiving: tender cargo when it's ready

Late cut-offs within hours of vessel departure times

Industry-leading truck turn times

Use of Matson's extensive owned chassis inventory throughout the U.S.

"This new service allows Matson to leverage existing operations in the region to offer market-leading service to a new destination," said Senior Vice President - Pacific Tuilaepa Vic Angoco. "The people of Tahiti and Hawaii have enjoyed a long and rich history together with shared ethnic and cultural ties. We look forward to strengthening ties between our island communities."

For detailed schedule information, please refer to the updated SPX Sailing Schedule posted online at:

https://www.matson.com/matnav/services/south_pacific_Schedules.html

Matson has appointed Papeete Seairland Transports as its exclusive agent in Tahiti. The company has a proud and accomplished history in the shipping industry of French Polynesia . General Manager, Thierry Charrier will lead a knowledgeable and professional team dedicated to delivering the world-class customer support in Tahiti for which Matson is known throughout the Pacific.

About Matson

Founded in 1882, Matson (NYSE: MATX) is a leading provider of ocean transportation and logistics services. Matson provides a vital lifeline to the domestic non-contiguous economies of Hawaii , Alaska , and Guam , and to other island economies in Micronesia. Matson also operates a premium, expedited service from China to Southern California and provides services to Okinawa, Japan and various islands in the South Pacific. The Company's fleet of owned and chartered vessels includes containerships, combination container and roll-on/roll-off ships and custom-designed barges. Matson Logistics, established in 1987, extends the geographic reach of Matson's transportation network throughout the continental U.S. Its integrated, asset-light logistics services include rail intermodal, highway brokerage, warehousing, freight consolidation, Asia supply chain services, and forwarding to Alaska. Additional information about the Company is available at www.matson.com.

Investor Relations inquiries: Media inquiries: Lee Fishman Keoni Wagner Matson, Inc. Matson, Inc. 510-628-4227 510-628-4534 lfishman@matson.com kwagner@matson.com

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