The French line CMA CGM has announced today that it has signed three agreements with China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL) and the United Arab Shipping Company (UASC).
Under the name of "Ocean Three", the agreements concern the Asia–Europe, Asia–Mediterranean, transpacific and Asia–US east coast trades. They are a combination of vessel-sharing, slot-exchange and slot-charter agreements.
The service offerings are as follows:
On the Asia–Europe trade: four weekly services, which complete two existing options, thereby offering six departures a week.
On the Transpacific trade: four weekly services to California and one service to the Pacific Northwest (United States and Canada).
On the Asia–US east coast trade: one service via the Suez Canal and one service dedicated to the Gulf of Mexico. These transatlantic agreements are being finalized and will be announced soon.
On the Asia–Mediterranean trade: four weekly services, two to the Mediterranean, one to the Black Sea, and one to the Adriatic.
In the Adriatic service, called PHOEX, the Ocean Three has recognized the growing importance of Rijeka as port and the opportunities it has to offer as a Gateway – and has hence decided to make Rijeka the first port of call in the Adriatic!
In practice that means that the transit time for a container travelling from Shanghai, China to Rijeka will be 29 days, 26 from Busan, South Korea, 24 from Ningbo, China, 21 from Chiwan, China and 16 from Port Kelang, Malaysia.
For more details kindly revert to the links below:
News: http://www.cma-cgm.com/news/566/cma-cgm-new-east-west-network
Schedule: http://www.cma-cgm.com/static/eCommerce/Attachments/New%202015%20CMA%20…
Source: http://www.cma-cgm.com/