CMA CGM, Maersk to start North Asia/Black Sea link

CMA CGM, Maersk to start North Asia/Black Sea link    CMA CGM and Maersk said Monday they would launch a joint service between North Asia and the Black Sea on May 20.
   CMA CGM said the “New Bosphorous Express” service would deploy 10 containerships of 6,500-TEU capacities with each carrier supplying five vessels.
   Rotation will be Dalian, Tianjin, Busan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Taipei, Chiwan, Yantian, Tanjung Pelepas, Port Kelang, Aqaba, Port Said, Damietta, Istanbul Evyap, Istanbul Ambarli, Constanza, Illichivsk, Odessa, Damietta, Port Said, Port Kelang, Tanjung Pelepas and Dalian.
   'After some difficult months of economic recession in the countries bordering the Black Sea, we are starting to see some signs of recovery in the exchanged flows to and from Asia. CMA CGM wishes to accompany its clients in the area with reshuffled direct coverage whilst ensuring stability of the capacity on offer. This new product will reinforce our port coverage as well as overall service quality and reliability,' said Christine Cabau, CMA CGM’s senior vice president Asia/Mediterranean, Red Sea, Black Sea and Adriatic lines.
   The first vessel to be deployed on the new service will be the CMA CGM Baudelaire leaving Dalian May 20.