CMA CGM to offer new direct connection between Japan and the Mediterranean

27 Apr 2009

CMA CGM is pleased to announce the upgrading of its MEX Asia-Mediterranean service, to include direct calls at Nagoya, Yokohama and Kobe, effective from mid-May 2009.

It will provide a unique coverage by offering direct connections and very competitive transit times from Japan to the full range of West and East Mediterranean ports.

Through our hubs at Malta and Damietta, the MEX service will offer reliable and efficient connections from all ports in the Adriatic, East Mediterranean and Black Sea to Japan.

The rotation will be: Nagoya, Yokohama, Kobe, Pusan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen, Chiwan, Hong Kong, Port Kelang, Beirut, Malta, Valencia, Barcelona, Fos, Genoa, Naples, Malta, Damietta, Djibouti, Khorfakkan, Port Kelang, Chiwan, Nagoya.

“We are the only shipping line offering at this stage a competitive and efficient connection from Japanese ports to a wide range of Mediterranean ports and vice versa. We are pleased to provide our customers regular and reliable connections from Japan to the West and East Mediterranean markets, North Africa as well as the Black Sea. The Japan market was the missing direct link in our Asia-Med and Med-Asia coverage: the MEX service is correcting this. We are eager to offer to our customers an enhanced service quality and an unique port coverage without adding capacity to the market." declares Christine Cabau, Senior Vice- President Asia / Mediterranean, Red Sea, Black Sea & Adriatic Lines.

This new rotation will still be operated with 10 vessels of about 5700 TEUs and the first vessel to call in Japan will be the CMA CGM STRAUSS on May 22nd.

About CMA CGM
Led by its founder Jacques R. Saadé, CMA CGM is currently the world’s third largest container shipping Group. Operating a fleet of 350 vessels, including 90 company-owned, the Group serves 400 ports around the world. In 2008, it carried 8.9 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). With a presence on all continents and in 150 countries through its network of 650 agencies, the Group employs 17,000 people worldwide.

CMA CGM