CMA CGM eliminates U.S. Lines brand

Marseilles, France-based ocean carrier CMA CGM said that since Oct. 17, U.S. Lines’ services have been rebranded as ANL on the Oceania trades and APL on the transpacific trades.    Ocean carrier CMA CGM of France said it is no longer using the U.S. Lines brand on the Oceania or transpacific trades.
   Since Oct. 17, U.S. Lines’ services have been rebranded as ANL on the Oceania trades and APL on the transpacific trades, CMA CGM said.
   ANL said it is providing the same sales coverage, vessel network, executive involvement, trade, pricing team and service to U.S. Lines’ customers.
   In August, CMA CGM said it would consolidate the existing transpacific businesses of its ANL and U.S. Lines brands between North America and Asia under the APL brand.
   CMA CGM, the third largest container carrier, acquired a majority of Neptune Orient Lines, the Singapore-based parent company of APL, earlier this year.
   ANL’s history goes back to 1956 when the Australian Coastal Shipping Commission, trading as Australian National Line, was established to operate shipping services around the Australian coast. Over time, other routes were added and ANL entered international trades to and from Australia.
   CMA CGM acquired the company in 1998 from the Australian government. Today, it offers services between Asia, Europe, North America, the Mediterranean, Australia and New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Indian Subcontinent and Middle East/Gulf. The company has seen its volumes grow from 70,000 TEUs in 1998 to over 1.5 million TEUs in 2015.