Three's a partnership in boxes

France’s box giant CMA CGM told Fairplay today it is teaming up with Chile’s CSAV and China’s CSCL on some direct shipping routes. The partnership covers Far East/Mexico/Caribbean routes and pulls together valuable experience built up by each company within their respective regions.

The partnership not only enlarges the companies’ coverage but also achieves “operational synergies”, CMA CGM spokesperson Claire Michel told Fairplay today. The companies will now provide a single weekly service, operated by 10 vessels of a capacity of 4,300teu, replacing the PEX2 and Pacar services. The new service will follow an eastbound route around the world, through the Pacific, then the Panama Canal, the Atlantic, the Cape of Good Hope and the Indian Ocean, before travelling back to Asia. CMA CGM will provide four vessels, CSAV five and CSCL one. The move is partly to create greater efficiency and partly a response to the volatile market, Michel told Fairplay: “We are adjusting our capacity and optimising our costs, which we believe is a pragmatic response to current trading conditions.”

CMA CGM has also announced plans to reduce sailing speed on its flagship Far East/Europe service to as low as 14 knots. This reduction to 'super eco speed' will save on costs and emissions. "Carriers cannot continue burning fuel at today's rate," commented CMA CGM’s senior VP Nicolas Sartini.

Read full article at Fairplay website