FRENCH shipping group CMA CGM Group has reshuffled its port network coverage from Europe and the Mediterranean to West Africa to provide five services from mid-December using Tangier as an operational hub.
The group said the rationalisation of it container shipping services will enable it to adapt to the market and serve the heart of Africa by utilising intermodal solutions, including Through Bill of Lading (TBL), to reach land locked countries and deliver cargo to its "client's door".
The services are the PC Weekly, which adds a UK and Nigeria port call to its rotation from mid-December. The service links North Europe and Tangier to West Africa, and operates seven 3,500 TEU vessels.
The port rotation is Dunkirk (Fri/Fri), Antwerp (Sat/Sun), Tilbury (Tue/Tue), Le Havre (Wed/Thu), Montoir (Fri/Sat), Tangier SB (Tue/Wed), Dakar (Mon/Tue), Abidjan SB (Sat/Sun), Lome (Fri/Sat), Tin Can Lagos (Thu/Sun), Abidjan NB (Tue/Wed), Dakar (Mon/Tue), Tangier NB (Sun/Mon) and back to Dunkirk.
The weekly PC Centre service that uses five 2,500-TEU ships on the following port rotation of Tangier (Sat/Sun), Dakar (Sat/Sun), Conakry (Mon/Tue), Tema (Mon/Tue), Cotonou (Mon/Tue), Douala (Wed/Thu) and back to Tangier.
The weekly PC North service, which will be operated by four 1,600-TEU vessels from December 13. The port rotation is Tangier (Sat/Sun),Nouakchott (Fri/Sat), Freetown (Tue/Wed), Monrovia (Fri/Sun), Banjul (Tue/Thu), Nouadhibou (Sun/Tue) and back to Tangier.
The weekly PC South service will remain unchanged and is operated by five 2,000 TEU ships on a rotation of: Tangier (Fri), Pointe Noire (Wed), Port Gentil (Fri), Libreville (Mon) and back to Tangiers.
The Angola Shuttle, a service with a nine-day frequency that links North Europe and Tangier to the Angolan market, and uses five 2,000-TEU vessels.
The port rotation is Leixoes, Lisbon, Tangier, Luanda, Lobito, Namibe, Leixoes.
The hub port of Tangiers will connect the shipping lines' long haul services from Asia (FAL and MEX 3), the Middle East Gulf (EPIC) and North America (Amerigo Express) to its Europe and West Africa services.
"To sustain the market growth of Africa and accompany CMA CGM development, we have decided to rationalise our Europe, Africa services," said CMA CGM vice president Mathieu Friedberg.
"The seamless connectivity of our operational hub in Tangier will permit our company to connect the world to Africa. Reaching the heart of Africa with intermodal solutions in the land locked countries, we are proud to deliver at our clients' door."
