CMA CGM Brings More Capacity to French West Indies

French container shipping company CMA CGM decided to upgrade its service to the French West Indies by increasing its capacity and introducing additional calls on the PCRF line.

The line, which offers direct connections between the French West Indies and Northern Europe, will add two new weekly calls at the ports of Zeebrugge and Rotterdam during the first quarter of 2016.

Additionally, the current 2,200 TEU vessels will be replaced by 2,800 TEU vessels in an effort to support regional growth of the French Indies market and promote intra-Caribbean trade developments.

The new rotation will include Dunkirk, Zeebrugge, Rotterdam, Le Havre, Montoir de Bretagne, Pointe à Pitre, Fort de France, Pointe à Pitre, and Dunkerque.

“Increasing vessels’ size on this line will not only support regional growth, but will also develop our transshipment activity in Pointe à Pitre and Fort de France, two group’s hubs serving surrounding markets such as the lesser Antilles and Northern Latine America,” CMA CGM West Indies and Guyana Lines Central President, Guillaume Lathelize, said.

“New calls in Zeebruge and Rotterdam will offer new export and import solutions for the domestic market as well as transshipment.”

Currently, five lines connect the French West Indies to the rest of the world – the PCRF and Mediterranean Caribbean services which offer direct connections to Northern Europe and the Mediterranean Sea, and 3 regional services which offer transshipment solutions reaching the whole sub region.