Container shipping firm CMA CGM Group and reefer transport specialist SEATRADE Group will together create a new vessel sharing agreement incorporating the services known by CMA CGM as PAD and by Seatrade as MERIDIAN, linking Northern Europe, the East Coast of the U.S., Central America, the Pacific Islands, Australia, New Zealand, Peru and the Caribbean on a weekly basis.
The new service, expected to launch in October 2017, will bring together CMA CGM, SEATRADE and shipping company MARFRET and improve their frequency and port coverage.
Deployed on this new line will be 13 ships with a nominal capacity between 2,200 and 2,500 TEUs (six CMA CGM, six SEATRADE and one MARFRET). Each will have minimum 600 reefers containers on board necessary to transport refrigerated goods such as fruits or meat.
The weekly service will have the following rotation:
- ZEEBRUGGE, LONDON GATEWAY, ROTTERDAM, DUNKERQUE, LE HAVRE,
- NEW YORK, SAVANNAH,
- KINGSTON, CARTAGENA,
- PAPEETE, NOUMEA
- BRISBANE, SYDNEY, MELBOURNE
- NELSON, NAPIER, TAURANGA
- PISCO, PAITA,
- KINGSTON
- PHILADELPHIA
- ZEEBRUGGE
The new line will provide a direct and weekly service to Papeete and Noumea from Northern Europe and the U.S. East Coast, provide direct reefer service from New Zealand to the U.S. and Europe, improve the supply of transport between Australia and the U.S., and offer stops in Peru, which will include a short transit time to supply fruits to the U.S. and Europe.