French shipping group CMA CGM is reshuffling its North China coverage and introducing an Asia-Turkey service this month.
The company said that with the revision of its FAL1 and FAL3 services for North China, “a better response to the current market demand will be provided.”
Starting June 24, the FAL1 service rotation will sail this rotation: Tianjin, Dalian, Pusan, Ningbo, Shanghai, Yantian, Port Klang, Algeciras, Southampton, Dunkirk, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Le Havre, Malta, Khor Fakkan, Yantian, and Tianjin.
The loop, which deploys the group’s largest vessels, will utilize twelve 11,000- to 18,000-TEUs vessels.
From June 29, and during 12 weeks, the FAL3 service will be operated alternately with the FAL2 service.
To harmonize with the FAL2 rotation, the FAL3 rotation, deploying 11,400- to 13,800-TEU vessels, is to be modified and call the following ports weekly: Ningbo, Shanghai, Xiamen, Chiwan, Yantian, Port Klang, Le Havre, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp, Le Havre, Jeddah, Port Klang, and Ningbo.
The new FAL1 and FAL3 configuration provides a junction between North and West African markets and Asian markets with the call of Algeciras in Spain. Its other offerings include a complete coverage of the United Kingdom with the Southampton and Felixstowe import calls, frequent coverage as before of the Hamburg and Rotterdam ports, and an improved service from North Europe to Beirut and a new call via its EPIC service joining Beirut to the Middle East.
Revised BEX
At the same time, the group added to its Bosphorus Express Line (BEX) on June 16 a weekly call at the southern Turkish port of Iskenderun, joining Asia to the East Mediterranean.
The box liner said this is “the only direct service on the market, and (offers) the best transit times between Asia and Iskenderun.”
Iskenderun in the south of the country is Turkey’s second industrial area after Istanbul. It is seeing strong economic growth and rising trade in raw materials imported from Asia. The raw materials are reprocessed in Turkey then distributed in Europe and the Middle-East.
With this new call, CMA CGM now calls 13 Turkish ports directly.
