CMA CGM alters transatlantic loop

The carrier dropped a call to Savannah in favor of a new call to New Orleans on its Victory Bridge service.    The Marseilles, France-based ocean carrier CMA CGM said in a statement it has added a call at Port of New Orleans to its Victory Bridge service between North Europe, the U.S. East and Gulf coasts, and the Gulf coast of Mexico.
   According to American Shipper affiliate BlueWater Reporting, however, the loop has dropped a call at Savannah as well. The revised rotation of the Victory Bridge is Le Havre, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Bremerhaven, Charleston, Miami, Veracruz, Altamira, Houston, New Orleans, Miami and Le Havre.
   In addition, carrier Maersk Line and subsidiary Safmarine will no longer purchase slots on the Victory Bridge. This was somewhat expected as both sides begin to align their relatively new vessel sharing agreement (VSA) service networks. CMA CGM will begin operation of the Ocean Three VSA, created with China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL) and United Arab Shipping Company (UASC), and Maersk will join Meditterranean Shipping Co (MSC) in commencing the 2M VSA.
   The Victory Bridge currently operates with six CMA CGM vessels with an average capacity of 3,193 TEUs. The service is also scheduled to skip one sailing position commencing Le Havre, France on Jan. 21.
   CMA CGM currently operates one other service calling New Orleans, the gulf coast to Caribbean Gulf Bridge Express, and takes slots on two more, Hapag-Lloyd’s transatlantic MGX and Gulf Africa Lines’ Coastal USA/South Africa mpc loop.  The carrier now calls at Savannah on five of its services: Cagema Main Liner Service, RTWPAN, Liberty Bridge, India East Coast Express, and the joint MINA/AMEREX with UASC.
  Stevedore Ports America will work the service’s cargo at the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal in New Orleans.