CMA CGM Group has decided to drop its APL brand on its network on the Pacific trades with the French carrier becoming the group’s exclusive commercial carrier brand from 1 October 2020.
The French shipping group believes that with the expertise and the experience of CMA CGM it will be able to serve its customers more effectively and focus on delivering complete, tailored solutions in the transpacific market.
Thus, APL will focus exclusively on servicing the US Government as a long-time service partner. The line will leverage its experience providing US Flag services to solidify and enhance the group’s specialisation in this “key business segment”. APL will also continue its service on the Guam-Pacific trade.
“This simplification fortifies the group’s number-one position in the United States while enabling us to build upon APL’s rich heritage of US flag-ship operations and service to the United States Government,” stated Ed Aldridge, president of CMA CGM and APL in the US.
CMA CGM Group has also announced developments in Singapore. The current CMA CGM regional office and Neptune Orient Lines Limited (NOL) will be redesigned as a major regional hub from 1 October, while NOL will be renamed CMA CGM Asia Pacific Limited.
This new Asia-Pacific hub of the CMA CGM Group will oversee trade management of all exports from Asia via CMA CGM, as well as intra-Asia short-sea services through its regional brand carrier CNC.
This Singapore-based hub will drive CMA CGM’s development in the Asia-Pacific region, said the announcement, and will focus on delivering end-to-end shipping and logistics solutions.
In addition, ANL Container Line Pty. Limited will become a subsidiary of CMA CGM Asia Pacific Limited as part of this development.
“The reorganisation of our transpacific trade will keep our global network more efficient and diversified,” commented Stéphane Courquin, head of CMA CGM Asia Pacific.
With this new reorganisation, the Group claims it simplifies its brand strategy with CMA CGM as its global commercial carrier and subsidiary brands supporting its development in dedicated markets:
| Brand | Market |
| APL | US Government cargo |
| ANL | Oceania |
| CNC | Intra-Asia short-sea |
| Mercosul Lines | Brazilian cabotage |
| Containerships | Multimodal intra-European transport |
