CMA CGM adds WCSA calls to Black Pearl

CMA CGM adds WCSA calls to Black Pearl    The French liner carrier CMA CGM said Tuesday it will extend the rotation of a loop currently connecting New York, Miami, Philadelphia and Halifax to the Caribbean and South America's north coast.
   The line's weekly Black Pearl service will now include calls at ports in Ecuador, Peru, Panama and Chile on the West Coast of South America. The carrier said the change was made 'as a response to a growing market demand for exports between the U.S. and West Coast South America (where volume is up 23.5 percent in 2010, compared to 2009) and between the U.S. and the Caribbean (where volume is up 13.8 percent this year).'
   The new rotation, as of Dec. 12, will be New York, Halifax, Kingston, Cartagena, Punta Manzanillo, Balboa, Guayaquil, Callao, Arica, San Antonio, Callao, Guayaquil, Punta Manzanillo, Kingston, Miami, Philadelphia, and New York. The new South America calls are in Punta Manzanillo, Balboa, Guayaquil, Callao, Arica, and San Antonio.
   Additionally, CMA CGM said the service will now be operated with six vessels with an average capacity of 1,100 TEUs. According to American Shipper affiliate ComPair Data, the current rotation is operated with four vessels with an average capacity of 1,223 TEUs.
   The carrier said the service offers 'unique direct service from Ecuador, Chile and Peru to Philadelphia and Halifax.' ComPair Data shows only one other service connecting the West Coast of South America with Philadelphia (MSC's seven-ship String 2 loop) and no other services connecting it with Halifax.
   CMA CGM added that connections to Asia and Europe are available through its regional hub in Kingston. The line said it is also providing expanded reefer capacity for exports from West Coast South America to the U.S. market to satisfy demand for wine from Chile and fruits from Chile, Ecuador and Peru.
   CMA CGM currently connects the West Coast of South America with the U.S. East Coast through transshipment at Cartagena on the two Eurosal service strings it jointly operates with Hapag-Lloyd and Hamburg S'd. The Eurosal loops ' CMA CGM provides two ships on one string and buys slots on the other ' connect South America and Northern Europe. ' Eric Johnson