CMA CGM to form second alliance - with OOCL on Asia - New Zealnd routes
December 14, 2011
CMA CGM and OOCL have formed a partnership to expand a loop that services ports between China, South-east Asia and New Zealand.
ANZEX will deploy six ships of 1,800teu, five from CMA CGM and one from OOCL, and will drop a call at Port Klang on its northbound leg, ensuring that the loop will be limited to seven days.
On the southbound portion of the loop, the service will make alternate calls at Suva in Fiji and Noumea in New Caledonia.
The service will originate in Hong Kong, and will include calls in Chiwan, Ningbo, Shanghai, Pusan, Auckland, Port Chalmers, Lyttelton, Tauranga, Noumea and Hong Kong.
The alliance comes at a time when lines are looking for ways to reduce costs through sharing capacity. CMA CGM earlier this month announced a major linkup with MSC on the Asia-Europe trades, which has become crowded with ultra-large containerships.
Overcapacity on most box trades and persistently high fuel prices have caused many lines to consider alliances and capacity switches. Several lines have announced new services recently on intra-Asia routes or between Asia and trading destinations other than North America and Europe.
Courtesy of IFW
