CMA CGM/Maersk add second Rotterdam call

CMA CGM/Maersk add second Rotterdam call    A big-ship Asia-Europe loop operated by CMA CGM and Maersk Line will add a second call at Rotterdam beginning Nov. 6, the French line said Friday.
   The 10-ship service, launched in June, is operated with some of the world's largest containerships and calls on most of the major ports in Asia and Europe. According to American Shipper affiliate ComPair Data, the service is operated with 10 vessels (six from CMA CGM and four from Maersk) with an average capacity of 12,938 TEUs.
   The new Rotterdam call is aimed at providing faster import service from Asia on the service, called FAL5 by CMA CGM and AE8 by Maersk.
“To meet a strong demand, we decided to add a call at Rotterdam for import cargo. This new improvement will reinforce this major service launched last July, that deploys the largest vessels of the market,' said Nicolas Sartini, senior vice president of Asia-Europe lines for CMA CGM.
   The new rotation will be Ningbo, Shanghai, Yantian, Tanjung Pelepas, Port Klang, Le Havre, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Port Klang, Singapore, and Ningbo.