MARSEILLES-based CMA CGM has announced a series of Asia-North Europe service reorganisations that will take effect in early April following the French shipping giant's new operational partnership with Geneva's Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC).

CMA CGM, the world's third largest carrier, will operate a total of twenty-eight 9,500-14,000-TEU ships in the various FAL services.

For the new FAL 1 string, CMA CGM will deploy eleven 13.800- 14,000-TEU vessels rotating through Ningbo, Shanghai, Guangzhou-Nansha, Hong Kong, Shenzhen-Chiwan, Shenzhen-Yantian, Vung Tau, Southampton, Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Le Havre, Malta, Korfakkan, Port Kelang, Singapore, Shenzhen-Yantian and back to Ningbo.

The FAL 2 service will remain unchanged.

The FAL 3 service will be operated by CMA CGM with eleven 11,400-TEU vessels. The port rotation will be Xingang, Busan, Qingdao, Shanghai, Xiamen, Singapore, Port Kelang, Tangiers, Le Havre, Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Antwerp, Zeebrugge, Beirut, Jeddah, Port Kelang, Singapore, and back to Xingang.

MSC, the world's second largest container carrier, will operate the FAL 6 string with eleven 14,000-TEU ships. The port rotation will be Dalian, Xingang, Kwang Yang, Busan, Qingdao, Ningbo, Shanghai, Singapore, Port Kelang, Felixstowe, Zeebrugge, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Southampton, Valencia, Jebel Ali, Singapore, Hong Kong and back to Dalian.

The FAL 7 string will also be run by MSC with eleven 14,000-TEU vessels. The port rotation will be Ningbo, Shanghai, Xiamen, Shenzhen-Chiwan, Shenzhen-Yantian, Sines, Le Havre, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Felixstowe, Gioia Tauro, Singapore, Shenzhen-Chiwan, Xiamen and back to Ningbo.

CMA CGM and MSC will jointly operate the FAL 9 service with nine 9,500-TEU ships, in which CMA CGM will deploy five ships and MSC four vessels. The port rotation will be Shanghai, Ningbo, Hong Kong, Shenzhen-Chiwan, Shenzhen-Yantian, Singapore, Port Kelang, Gioia Tauro, Malta, Tangiers, Port Kelang, Singapore, Vung Tau and back to Shanghai.

CMA CGM's existing agreement with Maersk Line on the Asia-Med trade will remain unchanged.