CMA CGM strengthens its presence between North Europe, Caribbean, and West Coast of South America

CMA CGM Group is pleased to announce the optimization of its services operated in partnership with Hamburg Süd and Hapag Lloyd on the North Europe / Caribbean / West Coast of South America routes.

As from January 2009, the three partners will deploy eight 1700 / 2000 TEU vessels within the jointly operated ES 2 service, offering weekly coverage of the following ports:

Rotterdam / Hamburg / Antwerp / Le Havre / Port of Spain / La Guairá / Puerto Cabello / Willemstad / Cartagena / Manzanillo (Panama) / Guayaquil / Callao / Paita / Guayaquil / Manzanillo (Panama) / Cartagena / Caucedo / Rotterdam

CMA CGM will provide 2 geared container vessels in the fleet.

Parallel to this development, the cooperation between the 3 container-shipping lines will be reinforced on the 2 other weekly slings covering the region:

ECS: 100% CMA CGM operated service linking North Europe, Caribbean and Central America ES1: Hapag Lloyd and Hamburg Süd jointly operated service linking North Europe, Caribbean, Peru and Chile

“This new agreement allows CMA CGM to directly operate vessels between North Europe and the West Coast of South America via Panama », explains Sabrina Youbi, Line Manager in charge of these services. “it is a new opportunity for the Group to provide its customers with reliable and quality services in the region”.

For Laurent Falguière, Vice-President Caribbean & Latin America Lines, “This service enhancement is another major step in the Group’s continued development in South America as a whole, and on the West Coast in particular. It enables CMA CGM to meet growing demand on these trades, especially for the transport of refrigerated cargo, and perfectly fits with the expansion of the Group’s local network of agencies ».

In addition to direct calls in Peru and Ecuador, ES 2 will offer excellent transit times between North Europe and Venezuela.

The first sailing from Rotterdam is scheduled on January, 12, 2009.

About CMA CGM - Led by its founder Jacques R. Saadé, CMA CGM is currently the world’s third largest container shipping Group. Operating a fleet of 400 vessels, including 100 company-owned, the Group serves 400 ports around the world. In 2007, it carried more than seven million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). With a presence on all continents and in 150 countries through its network of 650 agencies, the Group employs 16,000 people worldwide, including 4,200 in France .