THE new weekly container service launched by France's biggest shipping company between the United States and the Mediterranean Sea is now fully operational.
Marseille-based Compagnie Maritime d'Affretement (CMA) said its new weekly service, called Medam, would speed US exports to the Mediterranean and the Indian sub-continent by cutting delivery times by one week.
The service is jointly operated by Canada's CAST company and the Tricom consortium, made up of Germany's DSR and Senator lines and South Korea's Cho Yang, which have now joined the South Europe American Conference.
Eventually, 13 recently built ships will operate the service.
The 2,000 20-foot equivalent unit container vessel Asian Senator, making its maiden voyage, left New York on Monday to inaugurate the service. CMA's container ships Vesta and Vega will join it in January.
The line will principally serve the ports of Valencia in Spain, La Spezia in Italy, Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates.
