[131110.EN.SEA] Maersk Cuts Out Two Asia-Europe CMA CGM-linked Loops

MAERSK Line, the world's biggest container shipping company, has announced the cancellation of two Asia-Europe services jointly operating with CMA CGM.

The first withdrawn Asia-Europe route is the AE11 service scheduled to sail between November 14 and 20.

"As a consequence of the above change, export cargo loading from Marseilles-Fos, Genoa, and Gioia Tauro will not be available," Maersk said in a customer notice, reported the American Shipper. 

"Export cargo loading from Port Said East can be rerouted to AE12 service or our AE3 service. All cargo to/from Middle East destinations will either be postponed or advanced by one week."

The AE11 service is operated with 10 vessels, eight from Maersk and two from CMA CGM, with an average capacity of 8,636 TEU. 

It calls at Qingdao, Shanghai, Fuzhou, Hong Kong, Shenzhen-Chiwan, Shenzhen-Yantian, Tanjung Pelepas, Port Klang, Salalah, Port Said, Gioia Tauro, Genoa, Marseilles-Fos, Damietta, Port Said, Salalah, Port Klang, Singapore, Lianyungang and back to Qingdao. 

Maersk subsidiary Safmarine buys slots on the service, which CMA CGM calls MEX 2, said ComPair Data. Another cancelled Maersk-CMA CGM Asia/Europe service is AE12 called by Maersk and Safmarine or PHEX by CMA CGM.

The service is a nine-ship loop, five from CMA CGM and two each from Maersk and Safmarine. With an average capacity of 6,628 TEU, it links the Far East and Med by smaller vessels than the AE11/MEX 2, calling at Shanghai, Busan, Hong Kong, Shenzhen-Chiwan, Tanjung Pelepas, Port Klang, Port Said, Piraeus, Koper, Rijeka, Trieste, Damietta, Port Said, Jeddah, Port Klang, Singapore and back to Shanghai.

Source : HKSG, 05.11.10.