CMA CGM, Maersk start Far East/India service

CMA CGM, Maersk start Far East/India service    CMA CGM said Friday it is starting a new service with Maersk Line connecting the Far East and the Indian Subcontinent.
   The New CIMEX 2, launching June 13, will be operated with six 5,500-TEU vessels with a rotation of Gwangyang, Busan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Da Chan Bay, Tanjung Pelepas, Colombo, Pipavav, Nhava Sheva, Port Qasim, Port Klang, Tanjung Pelepas, Singapore, Hong Kong and Gwangyang. CMA CGM noted the Shanghai call would only be added from July 8.
   “The Asia to India-Pakistan trade — linking the two economies with the highest populations in the world — is currently expanding,” said Ludovic Rozan, vice president CMA CGM Asia. “This trend is likely to continue and we therefore decided to develop the NEW CIMEX 2 to keep pace with our customers' needs and support the development of their activities on these markets.'
   CMA CGM said the service would provide the fastest transit time between Shanghai and Pipavav, a container port in the northwestern Indian state of Gujarat. The service is also designed to provide shippers access to Indian inland container depots in Dadri (near New Delhi) and Nhava Sheva (near Mumbai).
   The French container line did not specify how many vessels it or Maersk would provide on the service. The two lines cooperate on multiple vessel sharing agreements globally.