CMA CGM Inland Services (CCIS), a company set up by CMA CGM and Vietnam’s International Transportation and Trading (ITC), has started a new company General International Logistics (GIL) to provide barge services in Vietnam. The new barge service will facilitate outbound shipments to the U.S. and Europe from the deep-water port of Cai Mep.
GIL has launched its Ho Chi Minh City – Cai Mep service April 19 where it flagged-off its first barge service from the SP-ITC terminal. The service, destined for the Gemalink terminal in Cai Mep, will shuttle cargoes three times a week, keeping transshipment of Vietnamese exports within local ports.
The Ho Chi Minh City – Cai Mep barge service will offer Vietnamese shippers a more economical and environmentally friendly way to transport containers between these two national ports, which are 80 km apart.
Each week, four CMA CGM long haul services make their port calls at this main gateway for southern Vietnam. They include the FAL7 service that heads for Europe as well as the JAX, SUEZ and PEX3 services that ply the Transpacific route.
General Director, CMA CGM Vietnam Adeline Franger Chouraqui said: “The CMA CGM Group is pleased to partner ITC in this joint venture and we have kicked-off our first barge service to transfer cargo between the two domestic ports in Southern Vietnam. The move demonstrates our commitment to continually seek for better ways to offer more efficient, flexible and sustainable solutions to our customers between the two key terminals”.
Chairman of ITC Nguyen Van Chuyen said: “We are honored to cooperate with CMA CGM, in establishing a joint venture to develop the logistics sector in Vietnam. Barge transportation is an important logistics service segment, helping to connect import and export gateways with high efficiency and competitive costs.”
With more than 30 years of market presence in Vietnam, CMA CGM has a strength of 230 staff members across five branch offices. The Group connects the country to the rest of the world with 25 services making 72 weekly port calls in Ho Chi Minh City, Vung Tau, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Chu Lai, Nghi Son and Quy Nhon.
Photo credit: iStock/ Vladyslav Danilin
