CMA CGM and MAERSK to launch new common services between Asia and the United States

CMA CGM and MAERSK will be rationalizing their services linking Asia and the US East and West Coasts in May 2009.

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 USEC via Suez, South East Asia, China, Korea and Pacific North West.

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 South East Asia Origins in Singapore to : . New York, Norfolk on the US East Coast

. Seattle, Vancouver in the PNW: - Direct calls from Hong Kong, South & Central China and Korea to the PNW 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 6500 TEU capacity via Suez and 5100 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.

About CMA CGM - Led by its founder Jacques R. Saadé, CMA CGM is currently the world’s third largest container shipping company and is ranked number one in France. Operating a fleet of 400 vessels, including 100 company-owned, the Group serves 400 ports of call around the world. In 2007 it carried a total of 7.7 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). With a presence on every continent and in 150 countries through its network of 650 agencies, the Group employs 16,500 people including 4,200 in France.