CMA CGM TO PUT ANOTHER 2 SHIPS UNDER BAHAMAS FLAG

CMA CGM TO PUT ANOTHER 2 SHIPS UNDER BAHAMAS FLAG    CMA CGM, the French container shipping company, will put another two containerships under the Bahamas flag.
   Two newly built 4,400-TEU vessels, the “CMA CGM Puget” and “CMA CGM Eiffel,” will fly the Bahamas flag from July and August, respectively, The ships will operate in the carrier’s MEX-TPX service, which connects the Mediterranean, Asia and the U.S. West Coast.
   Alasdair MacVean, managing director of CMA CGM (UK) Ltd., said the benefits of the Bahamas flag are not very significant, but the move is part of the company’s commitment to the British market. The Bahamas is considered as an offshore register for Britain, he said.
   CMA CGM already has two ships, of 2,200-TEU capacities, under the Bahamas flag. U.K.-based Scorpio Ship Management manages the ships
   In a separate development, the French shipping group is testing a new integrated documentation and operations system in the U.K. The LARA information technology system, designed to be implemented by CMA CGM worldwide, will bring into a single system all booking, transport, documentation and customs clearance data.
   MacVean said the “cradle-to-grave” IT system will cover subsequent operations involved in managing shipments, replace separate systems, avoid re-keying data, and provide added information transparency to shippers.