Excerpts from The Loadstar:

CMA CGM posted a net profit for Q1 2015 of $406m, against the $103m achieved in Q1 2014. CMA CGM appears to have been much quicker off the blocks to take advantage of its Ocean Three alliance vessel sharing agreement with CSCL and UASC, than Danish rival Maersk Line has in extracting the benefits of its 2M VSA with MSC.

The significance of the hike in CMA CGM’s east-west liftings is that Maersk group chief executive, Nils Andersen admitted that his line’s 1.6% reduction in volumes was mainly due to the carrier “not following the price war fully” in the Asia-Europe tradelane.

Mr Andersen conceded that Maersk Line had been “hesitant” in the first weeks of its 2M alliance, but this is clearly not the word to describe the sales drive at CMA CGM which seems to have been sharper and less “confused”.

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