The two companies will be launching two joint strings adjusting their deployment to new trade environment:
- The Columbus Loop, a pendulum service linking Japan, China, South East Asia and the US East Coast via Suez, South East Asia, China, Korea and Pacific Northwest
- The Hudson Loop, linking China, Korea and the US East Coast via Panama
These new services will provide customers with major improvements:
- Extensive port coverage;
- Direct calls from North China to the US East Coast;
- Direct calls connecting all Southeast Asia Origins in Singapore to:
- New York, Norfolk on the US East Coast
- Seattle, Vancouver in the Pacific Northwest
- Direct calls from Hong Kong, South & Central China and Korea to the Pacific Northwest gateway;
- Weekly call in Tangiers serving North and West Africa from the US East Coast.
These strings will be operated with state-of-the art ships of 6,500 TEU capacity via Suez and 5,100 TEU via Panama, providing very competitive transit times and giving access to multiple Asian markets.
Rotation will be as follows:
Columbus Loop ' Shanghai, Hong Kong, Yantian, Singapore, Suez, New York, Norfolk, Tangier, Suez, Singapore, Hong Kong, Yantian, Shanghai, Pusan, Seattle, Vancouver, Yokohama, Shanghai.
Hudson Loop ' Ningbo, Shanghai, Qingdao, Pusan, Balboa, Panama, Savannah, New York, Miami, Panama, Balboa, Ningbo.
'This rationalization of our services, which comes as a replacement of existing capacity, allows CMA CGM to strengthen port coverage on this trade with more efficient tonnage, and to strive for economy of scale especially in today's market environment,' explains Jean Philippe Thenoz, CMA CGM Group Vice President North America Lines.
