CMA CGM, CHINA SHIPPING DISCUSS COOPERATION IN ASIA/U.S. WEST COAST TRADE

CMA CGM, CHINA SHIPPING DISCUSS COOPERATION IN ASIA/U.S. WEST COAST TRADE

CMA CGM, CHINA SHIPPING DISCUSS COOPERATION IN ASIA/U.S. WEST COAST TRADE

   CMA CGM and China Shipping Container Lines are discussing a potential cooperation in the trade between Asia and the West Coast of North America.
   The two expansionist shipping lines have dramatically increased their presence in the transpacific since moving into the trade in 1999 and are now adding additional services through slot-exchange agreements.
   A spokesman for CMA CGM said that the talks with China Shipping for a West Coast cooperation follow the launch earlier this year of a joint Asia/U.S. East Coast all-water service.
   At present, CMA CGM runs one Asia/U.S. West Coast weekly service, the MEX/TPX, with its own ships, and takes space from Norasia’s China California Service. At the end of October, CMA CGM will start taking space on one of Maersk Sealand’s Asia/U.S. West Coast services. This agreement will replace the agreement with Norasia, which is terminating its China California Service in the next few weeks.
   China Shipping currently runs two Asia/West Coast of North America services with its own vessels, the AAC and AAS services, and takes space on transpacific services operated by Zim Israel Navigation Co.
   It is not known whether the two CMA CGM/China Shipping and China Shipping/Zim cooperative agreements in the transpacific will lead to a stronger three-carrier alliance.
   Earlier this month, Zim announced an agreement to take space on two Asia/West Coast of North America services run by    China Shipping, a move that this enable it to provide four sailings a week to and from the West Coast.