CMA-Hapag to enter Med-US east coast trade in single joint service

CMA-Hapag to enter Med-US east coast trade in single joint service

CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd are launching a joint Mediterranean-US east coast service in June that will be branded Amerigo and MAS, replacing the other services they offer or participate in on this route, reports Alphaliner.

The port rotation of the new Amerigo/MAS service is Tangier, Marsaxlokk, Livorno, Genoa, Fos, Barcelona, Valencia, New York, Norfolk, Savannah, Tangier. A round trip will take six weeks.

Six ships ranging in the 3,500-4,000 TEU range will be used to operate the service. Four of the containerships will be provided by CMA CGM and two by Hapag-Lloyd.

At present, Hapag-Lloyd covers the West Mediterranean-US east coast trade by purchasing slots on the joint Maersk-CMA CGM service, West Med/Amerigo, which Hapag-Lloyd brands MNX and will be scrapped in June.

It also participates in the Cagliari-US east coast leg of the Grand Alliance's Asia-Mediterranean-US east coast service (AEX). The report said this service will cease to be operated in its current form as part of the new G6 plans to cover the Far East-US east coast route.

Additionally, it covers the Mediterranean-southern US east coast route with its own Mediterranean Gulf Express (MGX) service.

As for CMA CGM it currently covers the West Mediterranean-US east coast trade through a joint service with Maersk Line (West Med/Amerigo). CMA CGM will exit from this service in June, but Maersk is expected to continue operating the service alone. Two of the six 4,300-5,000 TEU ships used on the route are provided by the French shipping line.

Aside from these western Mediterranean-US east coast connections, both CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd also offer eastern Mediterranean-US east coast connections by participating in the India-US Indamex service, which wayports at Damietta and Port Said. Plus, CMA CGM offers a Mediterranean-US Gulf connection by purchasing slots on Hapag-Lloyd's MGX service.