CMA CGM joins Long Beach’s Pier J consortium

   CMA CGM said Tuesday it has taken a stake in the Pier J container terminal in the Port of Long Beach, joining an already existing terminal operations consortium between SSA Marine and COSCO.
   The parent company of the French container line will join via its American subsidiary, CMA Terminals California (CTC). The existing joint venture is dubbed Pacific Maritime Services. It’s the first investment from CMA CGM in a U.S. West Coast terminal, and third in the United States.
   “This first new investment for our group on the U.S. West Coast will reinforce our position in North America,” said CMA CGM Group Executive Officer Farid Salem. “It demonstrates CMA CGM’s strong involvement to develop transport infrastructure and to improve quality of service to our customers. By investing in Pier J, the group ensures that the largest vessels deployed in the transpacific trade will be efficiently managed.”
   The CMA CGM Group has invested in 29 container terminals worldwide as part of a strategy to secure berthing space for its ships, and ensure the speed and efficiency of its shipping operations. CMA CGM currently calls Pier J with its Pearl River Express transpacific service, which is operated with 9,600-TEU vessels.
   Pier J has 1,800 meters of quay length, 17 gantry cranes, and 15.8 meters of draft, and it capable of handling 12,000-TEU ships. – Eric Johnson