Ever sinking rates induces CMA CGM to put USWC mega ship loop on hold

Ever sinking rates induces CMA CGM to put USWC mega ship loop on hold EVER sinking freight rates appears to have scuttled CMA CGM's grand plan to service the Oakland and Long Beach with its spanking new 18,000-TEUers, according to Alphaliner. The French shipping giant did not respond to email requests from IHS Media over two days, but independent sources confirmed that the 18,000-TEU ships will not be deployed in the Pearl River Express in May as reported. CMA CGM will retain five of the six ships with capacities of 18,000 TEU on their existing service between Asia and North Europe. CMA CGM also will continue to deploy the existing 11,000-TEU class vessels in the Pearl River Express service, according to Alphaliner.  Marseilles-based CMA CGM since late December has been running much publicised pilot calls of the 18,000-TEU Benjamin Franklin to different terminals in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland and Seattle.  These calls gave terminal operators the opportunity to work mega ships so the operators, management, labour, trucking, rail, equipment providers and shippers could familiarise themselves with a vastly increased scale of operations.