CMA CGM Modifies Asia-West Africa Coverage

zoom French container shipping major CMA CGM plans to reorganize services on the Asia-West Africa route, starting from the first week of March 2017.  The firm said it has introduced the changes in line with the West Africa market trend. CMA CGM intends to withdraw the WAX 2 service, which was operated with ten vessels with a capacity from 4,500-5,400 TEU. Additionally, CMA CGM will reshuffle three services on the Asia-West Africa route including WAX, WAX 3 and AFEX. The WAX service, operated with twelve 4,350 TEU vessels, will discontinue South Africa and Nigeria calls. Instead, the service will add Abidjan Westbound to its current export call with an improved transit time of up to 5 days. Abidjan from Shanghai will be reached in 37 days, according to the firm. Port rotation of the WAX service will be as follows: Shanghai, Ningbo, Chiwan, Nansha, Tanjung Pelepas, Singapore, Walvis Bay, Cotonou, Abidjan WB, Douala, Abidjan EB, Pointe Noire, Colombo, Singapore, Shanghai. Furthermore, the WAX 3 service, a weekly service operated by CMA CGMs partner with twelve 4,500 TEU containerships and dedicated to Nigeria, will have an added call in South Africa. The WAX 3 service will include the following ports: Xiamen, Shanghai, Ningbo, Nansha, Singapore, Tanjung Pelepas, Cape Town, Apapa, Tin Can/Lagos, Onne, Apapa EB, Tanjung Pelepas, Xiamen. In addition, the AFEX service will drop Abidjan call and replace it by Cotonou. The service is operated by CMA CGMs partner with twelve 4,350 TEU containerships. Port rotation of the AFEX service will be as follows: Shanghai, Ningbo, Fuqing / Fuzhou, Nansha, Singapore, Tanjung Pelepas, Lome, Tema, Cotonou, Walvis Bay, Tanjung Pelepas, Shanghai. The company added that port coverage of the ASAF service on the same route remains unchanged. Operated with twelve ships of up to 9,350 TEU, the ASAF service has the following port rotation: Qingdao, Xingang / Tianjin, Pusan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Nansha, Tanjung Pelepas, Singapore, Pointe des Galets, Cape Town, Pointe Noire, Luanda, Cape Town, Port Kelang, Singapore, Qingdao.

Image Courtesy: CMA CGM