CMA CGM, MSC in new joint service

CMA CGM, MSC in new joint service    CMA CGM said it will join Mediterranean Shipping Co. in offering a service between North Europe and the U.S. South Atlantic and Gulf coasts and Mexico.
   The new joint service, named New Victory Bridge by CMA CGM, will be operated with seven vessels with capacities of 5,700 to 6,000 TEUs, effective at the end of September.
   CMA CGM previously operated a service with five 3,000-TEU vessels in cooperation with Evergreen and China Shipping, which decided to withdraw from the trade.
   The new rotation will be Antwerp, Felixstowe, Bremerhaven, Le Havre, Charleston, Savannah, Freeport, Vera Cruz, Altamira, Houston, New Orleans, Freeport, Savannah, Charleston and Antwerp.
   'The responsibility of the shipping industry is to be as close as possible to worldwide market dynamics; in specific trades when we do identify an imbalance between supply and demand, it is a must to react accordingly to better serve our customers, said Jean Philippe Thenoz, vice president North America Lines, CMA CGM Group.
   “For CMA CGM, South Atlantic, U.S. Gulf and Mexico are three major trades in which the group heavily invested in the past few years, our presence is strong and appreciated by customers, this new venture is a milestone in this trade lane,' he added.
   This adjustment of slots reflects operators' efforts to match the market demand, which has been down by more than 20 percent since beginning 2009 on the transatlantic sector in general.