CMA CGM Group has announced plans to combine its container shipping service with Seatrade Group’s specialized reefer transport in a new vessel sharing agreement scheduled for October 2017.
Refrigerated goods such as fruits or meat will be transported to Northern Europe, the East Coast of the US, Central America, the Pacific Islands, Australia, New Zealand, Peru and the Caribbean on a weekly basis once the service is validated by authorities.
As the only line in the market to offer such coverage, CMA CGM, Seatrade, and shipping company Marfret will bring together 13 “modern geared” ships, each with a nominal capacity of between 2,200 and 2,500 TEUs and a minimum of 600 reefer containers.
CMA CGM has claimed that it will provide the only fast, direct, dedicated reefer service from New Zealand to the US and Europe, improving the supply of transport between Australia and the US.
It added that the service also offers stops in Peru, which will include “a very short transit time to supply fruits to the US and Europe”.
The route includes a direct and weekly service to Papeete and Noumea from Northern Europe and the East Coast of the US.