Savannah lands 15-year deal with CMA CGM

Savannah lands 15-year deal with CMA CGM    The Georgia Ports Authority Tuesday said it signed a new 15-year agreement between ocean carrier CMA CGM and the Port of Savannah.
   CMA CGM operates five services and 21 vessels joining major global trade routes with the U.S. Southeast and Midwest via the Port of Savannah.
   “Port of Savannah’s designation as CMA CGM’s primary port-of-call in the South Atlantic says volumes about Georgia’s ability to expand capacity and new services,” Doug J. Marchand, GPA executive director, said in a statement. “The recent dedication of Savannah’s newest container berth, the ongoing increases to our container storage areas and other equipment additions will more than double our container capacity in the coming years.”
   “We anticipate doubling our throughput in Savannah year-over-year given the changes in our network and continued strong demand,” said Frank J. Baragona, president of CMA CGM (America) Inc. “Excellent infrastructure gives us the ability to easily reach the population centers in the Southeast and the GPA’s commitment to continuous improvements to that infrastructure allows CMA CGM to expand its services in Savannah.”
   CMA CGM Group, which encompasses its subsidiaries, ranks third amongst the top 50 global container fleet operators. In 2005, the group transported 5.2 million TEUs and saw a total revenue of more than $7 billion. CMA CGM operates a fleet of 242 vessels with 73 vessels on order.
   During the first 10 months of fiscal year 2006, the GPA handled 1.68 million TEUs, a 15.4-percent increase compared with the same period last year.