The Port of Halifax continues as CMA CGM's Canadian port and intermodal Canadian gateway with the extension by CMA CGM of its Black Pearl service to the West Coast of South America.
Jean-Yves Duval, Vice President, Caribbean and Latin America Lines, CMA CGM Group remarked that thanks to these new calls on the West Coast of South America, CMA-CGM will provide its customers with a uniquely direct and efficient transportation solution to support the development of the growing markets between Canada and the West Coast of South America. This upgraded service will not only offer extended coverage but also increase the numerous connections into the Caribbean, Central America and the East Coast of South America.
CMA CGM's extension to the West Coast of South America compliments Canada's policy of economic engagement in the Americas. The Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA) implemented in July 1997 was Canada's first FTA in South America*. Since its inception, CCFTA's bilateral trade in merchandise has increased three times to $2.4 B in 2008*. Canada and Peru entered into a FTA in August 2009 with bilateral trade in merchandise already at $2.8 B in 2008*.
The CMA CGM service is the first direct Canadian container service connecting to the West Coast of South America. CMA-CGM will deploy six vessels in the service with the new rotation as Halifax, Kingston, Cartagena, Manzanillo (Panama), Balboa, Guayaquil, Callao, Arica, San Antonio, Callao, Guayaquil, Manzanillo (Panama), Kingston, Miami, Philadelphia, New York, Halifax.
