The CMA CGM Group, the world’s third largest container shipping company, which operates the Malta Freeport, has signed three major agreements with China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL) and the United Arab Shipping Company (UASC).

Called Ocean Three, the agreements concern the following maritime trades: Asia-Europe, Asia-Mediterranean, Transpacific and Asia-United States East Coast.

The agreements (a combination of vessel sharing agreements, slot exchange agreements and slot charter agreements) will complete the CMA CGM offering on the biggest global maritime markets:

On the Asia-Europe trade: four weekly services, which complete the two existing services, thereby offering six departures per week.

On the Asia-Mediterranean trade: four weekly services, two to the Mediterranean, one to the Adriatic and one to the Black Sea the only one on this market.

On the Trans-Pacific: 4 weekly services to California and 1 service to the Pacific Northwest (United States and Canada). On the Asia-US East Coast trade: 1 service via the Suez Canal and 1 service dedicated to the Gulf of Mexico.

The agreements on the transatlantic trade are being finalised and will soon be announced.

This new offering will combine both speed and reliability. Rotations will be optimised with calls in all the biggest Asian, European and North American ports, using trans-shipment hubs common to the three partners.

The number of weekly calls proposed and the transit times will be among the best on the market, thereby responding to the expectations of our clients.

Rodolphe Saadé, CMA CGM vice chairman, said: “We are very pleased to have signed these three agreements with such reputable partners, whom we both know and appreciate. This will allow us to propose to our clients a high quality and reliable alternative to existing services on the market. CMA CGM will continue its global development.”

CMA CGM has a fleet of 430 vessels and serves more than 400 ports around the world. In 2013, the group carried 11.4 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). It had a turnover of $15.9 billion in 2013.