CMA CGM is rolling out a new ocean service that links the U.S. East Coast with Oceania, giving shippers another way to move freight between North America, Australia, and New Zealand.
What’s Related
The service, known as KEA, is scheduled to start in early February. It will connect several U.S. East Coast ports with major ports in Australia and New Zealand through a space charter agreement with Maersk. Under that arrangement, CMA CGM will use slots on Maersk vessels already operating on the route.
The carrier says the goal is to tighten up its network between the U.S. East Coast and Oceania and offer customers more dependable sailing options across the Pacific.
KEA is also meant to do more than link those regions directly. CMA CGM says the service will create new transshipment paths that connect with its standalone trans-Atlantic service, allowing cargo moving between Oceania and Europe to flow through the U.S. East Coast as part of a wider network.
The service rotation includes calls at Philadelphia and Charleston, followed by Balboa and Tauranga before reaching Australia. From there, vessels will call Sydney, Melbourne, and Port Chalmers in New Zealand, then head back via Tauranga, Manzanillo, and Cartagena.
Industry reports point to the first sailing taking place in early February, with weekly service expected once the loop is fully up and running. With KEA added to the mix, CMA CGM will offer two weekly sailings between the U.S. East Coast and Oceania alongside its existing services.
The move comes as ocean carriers continue to tweak their networks to keep up with shifting trade patterns while balancing capacity and reliability. Demand on the U.S.–Oceania lane has remained steady, especially for agricultural products, consumer goods, and industrial freight moving in both directions.
By using a slot agreement, CMA CGM can expand its presence on the trade without adding its own ships, while Maersk benefits from fuller vessels. These types of arrangements have become more common as carriers look for flexible ways to adjust service without locking in long-term capacity.
For shippers, the new service means another routing option and more schedule choices on a trade lane that often has limited direct sailings.
CMA CGM has not shared vessel size or capacity details for KEA, but says more information will be released closer to the launch.
