Historic third direct service between the Port of Gothenburg and Asia

On October 26, the French shipping company CMA CGM launched a new direct service between the Port of Gothenburg and Asia. Together with the services operated by Maersk/Hapag-Lloyd and MSC, the port now has three direct lines for containers to and from Asia every week.

“It is the first time in the port’s 400-year history that we have three direct services to and from Asia, so of course this is both special and exciting – but also logical. Trade between Sweden and Asia has been growing for a long time, and with three weekly calls by three different shipping companies, the conditions for continued growth have never been better,” says Claes Sundmark, Vice President Sales and Marketing at the Port of Gothenburg.

In 2024, around 700,000 containers were shipped between Sweden and Asia – the vast majority via the Port of Gothenburg. Exports consist mainly of forest products such as paper, cardboard, pulp, and sawn timber, as well as machinery and industrial components. Imports from Asia largely include consumer goods, clothing, home electronics, and food products.

The growing trade with Asia is also an important factor behind the Port of Gothenburg moving toward a new record year in terms of container volumes.

Earlier this spring, MSC launched a new direct service to Asia. Shortly afterward, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd adjusted their Gemini cooperation, switching from using smaller shuttles to large mainliners between Gothenburg and Bremerhaven to making Gothenburg the new starting and ending point in Europe. Now, CMA CGM has become the third shipping company or alliance in a relatively short time to choose the Port of Gothenburg as its Nordic hub for direct Asia traffic. They all call at the Port of Gothenburg container terminal, operated by APM Terminals.

The new service will call at the following ports: Ningbo – Shanghai – Yantian – Singapore – Tangier – Dunkirk – Southampton – Gothenburg – Gdansk – Le Havre – Southampton – Port Klang – Ningbo.