CMA CGM, CSCL and UASC join forces on Middle East routes following tripartite agreement

02 Feb 2012 - Shipping, CMA CGM

• CMA CGM reshuffle CIMEX 1 service following agreement

• Shippers to share deployment of seven 12,500 TEU vessels as part of revamp

French shipper CMA CGM has reshuffled its Asia-Middle East CIMEX 1 service following its tripartite agreement with CSCL and the United Arab Shipping Company (UASC).

Effective from today, the newly reformed CIMEX 1 string will be jointly operated by the three lines and will share the deployment of seven vessels with a capacity of 12,500 TEU and above.

CMA CGM will supply one 12,500 TEU capacity vessel to the service, CSCL will contribute three 14,400 TEU ships and UASC will provide three 13,000 TEU ocean liners.

“This new service will allow CMA CGM to offer an excellent quality of service, a great reliability of schedule and port coverage among the best ones, while reducing operating costs,” said a CMA CGM spokesman.

“This new service is replacing two existing services on the market; it will not bring any addition of capacity. Moreover, Jebel Ali, the first market in the region, will be directly called and Khorfakkan hub (U.A.E) will be used as an entry point to feed all the Gulf’s destinations via the CMA CGM’s feeder network,” he added.

The CIMEX 1 will replace the CIMEX/AMA for CMA CGM and CSCL, currently operating with 8500 TEU vessels, and the AGX 1 for UASC, which uses vessels with a capacity of 3,600 TEU.

The new CIMEX 1 rotation will be as follows: Tianjin, Dalian, Busan, Shanghai (YangShan Terminal), Ningbo, Shekou, Port Klang, Khorfakkan, Jebel Ali, Port Klang, Nansha and Tianjin.