The CMA CGM Group strengthens its emblematic line between Northern Europe and the French West Indies, and extends it to Costa Rica, Colombia and Jamaica

The CMA CGM Group, a world leader in shipping and logistics, is pleased to announce that its PCRF service (North Europe French West Indies) between Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America began its rotations to Costa Rica with the maiden call of the M/V DOMINGO on 13 July 2019 in Puerto Moin (Costa Rica).

With this upgraded weekly service, the Group provides better coverage of the Caribbean with greater capacity to install refrigerated containers (“Reefers”), which can be used to transport sensitive commodities, such as bananas from the French West Indies, with competitive rotation times.

The PCRF service will bring the Group’s customers better access to its hub in Kingston (Jamaica), which is ideally located without deviation at the exit of the Panama Canal and at the intersection of the North/South and East/West lines. Its customers in the Caribbean and Latin America will also benefit from direct connections to Dunkirk, France’s leading port for imports of fruit and vegetables, and to London.

With the PCRF service, the Group further strengthens its service to the French West Indies, which will now be better integrated into their regional environment. CMA CGM wants to make Martinique and Guadeloupe regional hubs where it will develop transhipment to serve the other Caribbean islands.

This move reflects the Group’s commitment to develop these overseas territories. In Fort-de-France and Pointe-à-Pitre, CMA CGM has invested nearly €22 million to improve its service quality and upgrade port equipment. As proof of its determination, the fleet assigned to the PCRF service includes four Neo PCRF vessels sailing under the French flag, of which the Group took delivery this year. Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CMA CGM Group, participated in the inauguration of the first ship in the series, the CMA CGM FORT DE FRANCE, by Annick Girardin, the French Minister of Overseas Territories, on 4 April in Martinique.

• Rotation: Dunkirk, London Gateway Port, Zeebrugge, Le Havre, Montoir, Pointe-à-Pitre, Fort-de-France, Kingston, Puerto Moin, Cartagena, Fort-de-France, Pointe-à-Pitre, Dunkirk
• Weekly service
• Duration: 42 days
• Six 3,500 TEU ships, of which four Neo PCRF vessels sailing under the French flag, offering 850 Reefer plugs