Recognizing the burgeoning trade between Asia and West Africa, CMA CGM and CSAV have struck a new vessel-sharing pact to manage an Asia-West Africa joint service.
The WAX II service will be based on the former New Discovery Service, reports asianshipper.com.
The carriers will each provide five 2,500- to 3,100-capacity TEU vessels for deployment on the weekly run that starts August 3.
Port rotation is Ningbo, Shanghai, Shenzhen-Chiwan, Hong Kong, Port Kelang, Lagos-Apapa, Lome, Tema, Abidjan, Douala, Port Kelang, Ningbo.
Chile-based CSAV launched the New Discovery Service in June 2010, replacing a Far East-West Africa service by transshipment via South Africa that involved the former Far East-South Africa service (Discovery) and the former Durban-West Africa feeder service (WAE).
The Durban calls were dropped, however, under an arrangement that saw CSAV taking slots on the MSC’s Far East-South Africa Cheetah service.
Marseilles-based CMA CGM already provides two direct services on the Far East-West Africa sector that will continue to operate separately.
The WAX II will allow better coverage of West African ports, with a direct call to Cameroon at the port of Douala, as well as provide an enhanced transshipment capacity from Lome to Cotonou.
The service will also call at CMA CGM’s Port Kelang hub, giving access to the southeast Asian market with a record transit time of 22 days between Lagos-Apapa.
Meanwhile, CMA CGM announced a general rate increase of $200 per TEU and $400 per FEU on cargo moving on its Epic Service from India to Europe and the Mediterranean from August 14, asianshipper.com said.
The Epic is a fixed-day weekly service calling at Southampton, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp, Le Havre, Piraeus, Khor Fakkan, Jebel Ali, Port Qasim, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mundra, Jeddah, Malta, Tangiers, Southampton.
