French maritime shipping company CMA CGM in early June announced the launch of its ACSA 5 route connecting Asia with Mexico, Guatemala and Chile starting later in the month.
The service is specially designed for refrigerated transport of perishables and fresh fruits toward Asia.
“ACSA 5 will be complementing the three ACSA services already offered by CMA CGM, with competitive and short transit times, a strategic asset for our customers, especially producers of perishable goods and fresh fruits,” the shipper said in its announcement. “With this unique offer, CMA CGM pursues its ambition to strengthen its service to South America.”
The port rotation is as follows: Hong Kong, Shekou, Ningbo, Shanghai, Manzanillo, Puerto Quetzal, San Antonio and Hong Kong. The service, according to CMA CGM, will be operated with a fleet of five vessels.
The route’s first departure was scheduled to be with
m/v Colombo, an 18-year-old, Liberia-flagged containership with a carrying capacity of 4,300 TEU.
“This improvement of CMA CGM’s offering between Asia, Mexico and the West Coast of South America,” CMA CGM said in a statement, “reinforces the (shipping) group’s global coverage in order to meet customers’ expectations and needs.”