French carrier CMA CGM has acquired all five of the 2,300 teu feeder ships it had been chartering from Dutch specialist Seatrade Groningen, reports The Loadstar.
According to shipbrokers, Seatrade Blue, Seatrade Green, Seatrade Orange, Seatrade Red and Seatrade White were a`ll acquired last week and, although the sales price was not disclosed, VesselsValue estimates each has a market value of around $30m.
CMA CGM began chartering the ships in mid-2020 for five years, paying $20,000 a day, with all five assigned to its Panama Direct Line, which calls at ports in Australia, New Zealand, the US east coast, Jamaica, Panama and northern Europe.
Newbuildings and secondhand purchases
CMA CGM has been emulating MSC in fleet expansion, with newbuildings and secondhand purchases, and the French operator has also been acquiring ships it had on long-term charter.
In July, CMA CGM bought the 2016-built 9,448 teu CMA CGM Missouri, chartered from Italian owner D’Amato Fratelli since April 2020 for four years and five months. The purchase price was not disclosed, although the ship had a value of $107m at the time.
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Source: Loadstar