Last week we took a closer look at how operational strategies for Suez Canal transits may (or may not) be actively unfolding from the likes of CMA CGM and Maersk. Significant under-the-radar developments continue; our analysts have confirmed another commitment from CMA CGM to regular eastbound voyages through the canal.
Ocean Alliance’s Far East – Europe MED2, otherwise known as the CMA – MEX, will see the 15,254 TEU vessel CMA CGM KIMBERLEY make the first ‘official’ or proforma passage through the Suez Canal on February 10. The new service version will complete a neat loop around Africa and through the Mediterranean after westbound transit past the Cape of Good Hope. This necessitates a one-week reduction in roundtrip time down to 98 days, along with the reduction of a vessel slot down to 14. There are no indications of a change to average vessel capacity at this time.
The MED2 is already a regular host for these eastbound passages via the CMA CGM JULES VERNE, which has received repeat spotlight in our analysis of covert operations. This time around, we’ll also see her peers executing back-to-back inducement calls preceding the official rotation changes.
eeSea by Xeneta forecasts for the upcoming eastbound calls on the MEX string include:
- CMA CGM JULES VERNE – ETA December 13 (inducement)
- APL CHANGI – ETA December 24 (inducement)
- CMA CGM GALAPAGOS – December 28 (inducement)
- CMA CGM GRACE BAY – January 10 (inducement)
- CMA CGM KIMBERLEY – February 10 (proforma)
Additionally confirmed this week is the first vessel conducting a proforma Suez Canal transit on CMA’s FAL1 (OCEAN – NEU4) - the APL MERLION is forecasted for January 5. In the Middle East – North America corridor, the INDAMEX service will host a singular eastbound inducement call with the 6,350 TEU APL OREGON on January 8, which may pave the way for more. Including two upcoming inducements on the FAL3, this brings the total to 8 additional voyages discovered within the past two weeks; a healthy indication of the current rate of increased activity for CMA CGM.
As for other carriers and alliances; Maersk has made their position on a willingness tempered by safety and non-committal dates clear, ZIM has boldly stated that they are all but waiting for insurance approval, and others have remained stoically silent. Daily deep dives have not revealed any signals of structural or voyage-level changes on other Premier, Gemini, or Ocean alliance services at this time.
For shippers and freight forwarders – this could spell a positive short-term impact on transit times and reliability for select shipments from Southern Europe and the Mediterranean to the Middle East, India, and Asia. For clear, unbiased, visibility into carrier reliability on your port-to-port connections and what the weeks ahead have in store, please check out Xeneta’s Carrier Scorecard.
eeSea Signals
- All Current + Future Services Calling the Suez Canal
- Suez Canal Inbound/Outbound Port Calendar
- Suez Canal Weekly Traffic Summary - Tableau Permission Required
- Suez Canal Trade Capacity Index (TCI) + Schedule Reliability Timeline - Tableau Permission Required
- Suez Canal / Cape of Good Hope Inbound/Outbound Vessel Positions - Tableau Permission Required