CMA CGM TO START ATLANTIC SERVICES AT END OF OCTOBER

CMA CGM TO START ATLANTIC SERVICES AT END OF OCTOBER

   Confirming its plan to enter the northern Europe/U.S. container trade, CMA CGM said it has concluded a slot-charter agreement with Maersk Sealand to start three weekly services at the end of October.

   CMA CGM and Maersk Sealand have filed a two-year slot-charter agreement with the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission. Under the deal, CMA CGM will have 600 TEUs a week, each way, on services operated by Maersk Sealand and its partners.

   CMA CGM will have 300 slots a week, each way, on the transatlantic leg of the “TA1/ECS” service operated by New World Alliance carriers APL, Hyundai Merchant Marine and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines in cooperation with Maersk Sealand. The northern Europe/U.S./Asia/U.S./northern Europe “TA1/ECS” service has a transatlantic rotation of Felixstowe, Rotterdam, New York, Norfolk and Charleston westbound. Eastbound, the rotation is Charleston, Norfolk, New York and Felixstowe.

   CMA CGM will take 150 slots a week, each way, on the “TA2/ATS” string of Maersk Sealand and the New World Alliance, calling at Rotterdam, Bremerhaven, Felixstowe, New York, Charleston, Houston, Savannah, Norfolk and Rotterdam.

   The French carrier will also have 150 slots a week, each way, on the transatlantic leg of Maersk Sealand’s northern

Europe/U.S./Asia/U.S./northern Europe TA3 “pendulum” service. CMA CGM will join this service from Le Havre, Felixstowe, Bremerhaven and Rotterdam to Halifax, New York, Norfolk, Charleston, Port Everglades and eastbound from Miami, Charleston and New York to northern Europe.

   A spokesman for CMA CGM said that the start of its three transatlantic services is timely, given that the Atlantic trade is now “booming.” The French carrier, which entered the transpacific trade last year, added that its move into the Atlantic “completes its east/west global service offer.”