News / CMA CGM Baltic feeder launch underlines role of Gdansk

Photo: Baltic Hub

The launch of a new Baltic feeder service from CMA CGM is cementing the role of Poland’s port of Gdansk in one of the main transhipment hubs in the region.

The French carrier advised late last week it launched a new weekly one-ship feeder service connecting the Polish hub with Finland and Latvia, employing “Gdansk as efficient transhipment hub connecting CMA CGM loops from and to Asia”.

The BLX loop deploys the 905 teu JSP Mistral, operated by BG Freight Line, with a port rotation of Gdansk-Kotka-Riga-Gdansk.

Today, Gdansk is host to some 15 liner services, according to the eeSea liner database, including five Asia-Europe services, and this is unlikely to change with the alliance reshuffle taking place in a few days’ time – while the end of the 2M will see Maersk’s calls at the port served through a shuttle string from Bremerhaven, under its new Gemini arrangement. MSC will continue to serve the port through two of its Asia-North Europe services, the Swan and Albatross.

In addition, the Ocean Alliance, of which CMA CGM is a lead carrier, will continue to include Gdansk calls on three of its Asia-North Europe services.

Originally called DCT Gdansk, the port’s container facilities are now marketed as Baltic Hub, and it has been 40% owned by PSA International since 2019.

The development of Gdansk into a genuine deepsea hub for the Baltic region has been one of the unqualified port success stories in recent years. Last year it handled 2.24m teu, according to the port, over 10% up on 2023’s 2.05m teu, and it began construction of its third container terminal, T3. This will add 1.5m teu handling capacity to the port, taking Gdansk’s total capacity up to 4.5m teu a year.

“”The construction of the T3 terminal is an important stage in the development of the Baltic Hub and an example of how the Polish port infrastructure responds to the challenges of modern logistics,” said Charles Baker, Baltic Hub CEO.

“By investing in modern technologies and ecological solutions, we create space for further development of both our company and the entire transport sector in Poland and among our partners in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary,” he added.

Meanwhile, the new year saw changes at terminal’s management level, with Jan van Mossevelde appointed its new chief executive from 1 January. Mr Baker has taken up the role of PSA’s head of intermodal Europe.

Mr van Mossevelde was most recently chief executive of PSA Halifax in Canada.