Maersk Line and CMA CGM launch Intra-America trade

Maersk Line and CMA CGM announced the following enhancements to their North Coast Express (NCX) and Brasilian Express (Brasex) service, connecting the East Coast of South America to Central America and Caribbean, effective second half of September 2009.

The two carriers will offer a single service operated with four vessels each, with an average net capacity of 2,800 TEU.

Benefits for customers are:

* Increased coverage in the Caribbean by adding direct port calls in Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago), Kingston (Jamaica) and Puerto Cabello (Venezuela)

* A new port call in Vitoria, allowing moving cargo from the Caribbean and Central America to Brazil

* Increased service reliability by deploying 8 vessels on this service for greater reliability, with fixed weekly sailings

The new rotation will be as follows:

Buenos Aires (Argentina), Zarate (Argentina), Montevideo (Uruguay), Rio Grande (Brazil), Itajai (Brazil), Paranagua (Brazil), Santos (Brazil), Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago), Cartagena (Colombia), Manzanillo (Panama), Kingston (Jamaica), Puerto Cabello (Venezuela), Point Lisas, (Trinidad and Tobago), Vitoria (Brazil), Santos (Brazil), and Buenos Aires (Argentina).
The first sailing begins in Buenos Aires, Argentina on September 20, as a continuation of the current service.

Maersk Line will continue to offer connections from its hub in Panama to the main ports in the Caribbean, Central America and the West Coast of South America.