Transpacific trade: CMA CGM, MAERSK and HANJIN suspend one of their Asia / US East Coast service via Panama

CMA CGM, MAERSK and HANJIN will suspend their China, Korea, US East Coast service via Panama after the departure on September 27th, 2009 of the last eastbound vessel from Ningbo.

This joint decision allows CMA CGM, MAERSK and HANJIN to rationalize existing services and capacity to meet market needs.

This loop operated by 8 x 5100 TEU vessels, named HUDSON Service by CMA CGM, was calling ports such as Ningbo, Shanghai, Qingdao, Pusan, Balboa, Savannah, New York and Miami.

The future coverage of these ports will be done through existing services already operated either independently by CMA CGM or in a venture with partner such as COLUMBUS Service.

«This rationalization of port coverage and slot supply corresponds to the actual trend demand observed on the Asia / US market since beginning 2009. Suspension of services is in our mind a temporary move. We are fairly confident that the North America trade will rebound in the near future» explains Jean-Philippe Thénoz, CMA CGM Vice President North America Lines.