CMA CGM ends MEDGULF, launches MGE

The French ocean carrier terminated its MEDGULF loop between the Mediterranean, Caribbean and the East Coast of North America, and commenced its Med Gulf Ecuador loop, which has a similar rotation and slightly larger vessels.    Ocean carrier CMA CGM has terminated its MEDGULF loop between the Mediterranean, Caribbean and the East Coast of North America, in conjunction with the commencement of its Med Gulf Ecuador (MGE) loop, which it calls an “enhanced” version of the prior MEDGULF.
   The MEDGULF, which just commenced this past April, ended with the Nov. 20 sailing of the Santa Giannina from Leghorn, according to CMA CGM’s most recent online service schedules.
   The service had a rotation of Leghorn, Genoa, Barcelona, Valencia, Tangier, Caucedo, Kingston, Veracruz, Altamira, Houston, Tangier and Leghorn.
   Delmas, CMA CGM’s subsidiary line, purchased slots on the MEDGULF, which operated with six vessels with an average capacity of 1,918 TEUs, according to ocean carrier schedule and capacity database BlueWater Reporting.
   CMA CGM’s MGE loop commenced operations with the Nov. 29 sailing of the Rio Taku from Leghorn, according to the carrier’s service schedules. The service technically launched Nov. 24 from Tangier, directly before Leghorn, but the Tangier call right does not appear to be routine.
   The “enhanced” MGE service has a rotation of Leghorn, Genoa, Barcelona, Valencia, Tangier, Caucedo, Kingston, Veracruz, Altamira, Houston, New Orleans, Kingston, Cartagena (Colombia), Guayaquil, Kingston, Malta and Leghorn.
   The MGE operates with nine vessels with an average capacity of 2,192 TEUs, according to data from BlueWater Reporting. Four of the nine MGE previously vessels served on the MEDGULF loop.
   CMA CGM subsidiary lines ANL, Delmas and US Lines also offer slots on the MGE.
   Correction: A previous version of this story said the service would call at Balboa, but current schedules indicate this does not appear to be the case.