French container shipping group CMA CGM enhances its liner network in the East Med – in partnership with competitors, which are linked to market leader Maersk Line.
The Marseille-based company, No. 3 in the global container liner business, has announced the new upgraded service o[ds_preview]ffer »NC Levant«, which directly links the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon) and Northern Europe (Belgium, England, Germany), via Malta, Spain and Italy.
The service is supposed to provide extended port coverage with a new export call in Tanger Med towards the Levant Sea, and a new import call in Algeciras towards Northern Europe. In addition, it »will also cover the significant ports in the region, through our extensive feeder available in Malta, Beirut, Port Said and Algeciras«, CMA CGM said.
For the service, the carrier cooperates with the Maersk-subsidiary Seago, which announced an initiative to increase rates a couple of days ago. As well, the German carrier Hamburg Süd is involved. Today, still No. 7 in the global market, Hamburg Süd‘s will be another subsidiary of Maersk as soon as the acquisition process is finished.
From February 23, the following rotation will be operated with 1×6,500 TEU-capacity vessel and 4-5,900 TEU-capacity vessels: Felixstowe –Antwerp – Hamburg – Tangier Med – Marsaxlokk – Alexandria – Beirut – Iskenderun – Mersin – Port Said E – Salerno – Algeciras – Felixstowe.
