[161012.EN.SEA] CMA CGM, Chops Turkey, To Open Egyptian-Turkish/Russia Citrus Reefer Run

MARSEILLE- based CMA CGM will launch the Citrus Express service that will export fruit from Turkey and Egypt to Russia starting in November with three 1,100-TEU range ships.

As of November 8, the carrier will remove its Turkey Shuttle service that is jointly operated by CMA CGM and Maersk Line with eight vessels of 6,500 TEU. This service linked Asia to the Red Sea, Egypt and Turkey.

The new Citrus Express loops will rotate between Port Said, Mersin, Istanbul, Novorossiysk and Damiette until mid-February, when Turkish reefer Turkish exports slow, at which point Mersin will be dropped and an Egyptian port added.

"This new service will enable CMA CGM to consolidate its position as a reefer operator in this fast growing market," said Stephane Courquin, vice president of CMA CGM Asia Mediterranean Lines.

CMA CGM recently reshuffled its Asia to Mediterranean rotations and pulled the plug on its Turkey Shuttle Service, which was handled by eight 6,500-TEUers with Maersk.

But CMA CGM said it will maintain its other four Asia Mediterranean services, which now have revised rotations, and it "remains committed to provide the most competitive transit times and the widest port coverage to customers on this trade".

The new port rotation for the MEX 3 service is: Xiamen, Shanghai, Ningbo, Yantian, Nansha, Tanjung Pelepas, Port Kelang, Jeddah, Port Said, Malta, Genoa, La Spezia, Algesiras, Tangier, Malta, Port Said, Port Kelang, Singapore.

This service will provide a "premium product to Italy and Red Sea markets by adding two new calls in Italy (Genoa and La Spezia) and Jeddah, Port Said and Tangier to its rotation", a statement said.

The new port rotation for the PHOEX service is Shanghai, Busan, Shenzhen-Chiwan, Hong Kong, Tanjung Pelepas, Port Said, Beirut, Trieste, Koper, Rijeka, Trieste, Port Said, Jeddah, Port Kelang and back to Singapore.

This service will provide a three-day faster transit time to the Adriatic, Lebanon and Syrian markets.

The revised port rotation for the MEX 1 service is: Qingdao, Busan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Guangzhou-Nansha, Shenzhen-Yantian, Shenzhen-Chiwan, Tanjung Pelepas, Port Kelang, Malta, Valencia, Barcelona, Marseille-Fos Sur Mer, Malta, Port Said, Salalah, Khor Fakkan, Port Kelang, Singapore.

This service will dedicate capacity to French and Spanish markets in the West Mediterranean market.

The amended port rotation for the BEX service is: Dalian, Xingang, Kwangyang, Busan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Chiwan, Yantian, Tanjung Pelepas, Izmit /Evyap, Istanbul/Ambarli, Constanta, Odessa, Iliychevsk, Istanbul/Ambarli, Port Said, Port Kelang and back to Singapore.

The company said this service will provide a "premium" product to Turkey and Black Sea markets by adding to its rotation a second call in Korea (Kwangyang).

Source : HKSG.