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CMA CGM rolls out 2 more transit options through Houthi controlled waters
2025-02-20 11:04

CMA CGM rolls out 2 more transit options through Houthi controlled waters

by Destine Ozuygur •

CMA CGM announced on February 18 that they will be adding a BIGEX3 and BIGEX4 service to their roster in the Intraregional Middle East trade. The BIGEX 3 and 4 will be joining BIGEX and BIGEX2; the former has been active since March 2023 and the latter commenced in May 2024. The two rotations will begin with departures from Nhava Sheva immediately on February 22 and 24.

Neither service is truly a brand new rotation but rather a new collaboration for the carrier. CMA CGM will be joining the existing ASYAD - REX1 | FOLK - IRS1 (BIGEX3) as a vessel provider and the FOLK - IGS (BIGEX4) as a slot charterer.

While it's still a far cry from a systemic return to Suez Canal passages on large E/W services, an increased presence in the Strait of Hormuz via India to Arabian/Persian Gulf routings shows that CMA CGM are willing to further test their confidence of the newly established ceasefire beyond the occasional ad-hoc sailing.

Our team suggested in January that CMA CGM was a likely candidate to increase their presence in these waters ahead of the pack, having tested a few ad-hoc sailings in Q4 2024 and again in late January. The one-off passage of CMA CGM COLUMBA, deployed on the CMA - EPIC, through the Suez Canal on January 23 was quickly picked up by multiple news outlets including The Loadstar. This voyage was inititally interpreted as an early signal of a broader return but the carrier made sure to temper these expectations in their comments.

The OCEAN - MED5 is the only major E/W alliance service that has continued to utilize the passage for these past many months, although it's possible we will begin to see it trickle into the new Day 9 product offerings scheduled to commence in April. Hapag Lloyd and Maersk Line have also showed a willingness to test the waters in their new intraregional offerings for the GEM - MEA-MED Bridge 1, 2, and 3.

We are already underway updating the eeSea database with details for the new service versions and upcoming voyage forecasts, the live links will be updated here as soon as they are available.

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