CMA CGM BOOSTS SOUTH AMERICAN NETWORK

BRENNAN BOOSTS SERVICES FROM LOS ANGELES TO AUSTRALASIA    CMA CGM will start three liner services in the South American trades to and from North America and Asia in June, supporting its policy to make Latin American its main focus of service expansion this year.
   Under an agreement with Chilean carrier Compania Sud Americana de Vapores that covers all the services concerned, the French carrier will enter the U.S. East Coast/East Coast of South America trade, the U.S. East Coast/West Coast of South America trade and the Asia/East Coast of South America trade. Compania Sud Americana de Vapores already operates in all three of these trade lanes.
   From June 1, CMA CGM will start offering the U.S. East Coast/East Coast of South America weekly service operated by Compania Sud Americana de Vapores’ affiliate Montemar in cooperation with Hanjin Shipping, Senator Lines and Zim Israel Navigation. CMA CGM will have 150 to 200 TEUs a week on this service, called “ICA,” to which it will contribute one of its vessels from about the end of this year.
   From June 3, CMA CGM will commence its participation in a weekly U.S. East Coast/West Coast of South America service jointly operated by APL, Compania Chilena de Navegacion Interoceanica, Columbus Line, Crowley American Transport and Compania Sud Americana de Vapores. As a slot charterer, CMA CGM will have an allocation of 100 TEUs a week.
   The third new service for CMA CGM will be an Asia/East Coast of South America weekly service known as Good Hope Express. The service is run jointly by Compania Sud Americana de Vapores, Norsul and NYK. CMA CGM will charter 150 TEUs a week on this service.
   CMA CGM had operated in the U.S./East Coast of South America trade once before, but exited the trade two years ago.
   “In all these new services, we do not bring (extra) capacity,” said Jean-Louis Saulnier, senior vice president in charge of North/South trades. He added that CMA CGM does not want to disturb the market with surplus capacity.
   Including its transshipment service between Asia and the West Coast of South America via Panama, the French carrier said that it now covers all the trades connecting the east and west coasts of South America to Asia, North America and Europe.