CMA CGM Launches New Asia-Europe Route Ocean Rise Express (OCR)
Publish Time: 2026-03-18 Origin: Site
CMA CGM Group has announced a new weekly container service – Ocean Rise Express (OCR) – creating a direct shipping link between Japan, South China and North Europe to provide shippers with more efficient and reliable transportation.
Route & Vessel Details
The OCR service will deploy 14 container ships with 7,000–10,000 TEU capacity, including one 8,000 TEU LNG-powered vessel, balancing operational scale and green shipping initiatives.
The maiden voyage is scheduled to depart on April 2, 2026.
The port rotation forms a complete loop covering key hubs: Kobe → Nagoya → Yokohama → Xiamen → Yantian → Rotterdam → Hamburg → Southampton → Nansha → Kobe
Fast Transit Times
OCR offers highly competitive direct transit from major Asian ports:
From Yokohama, Japan:
Rotterdam in 38 days | Hamburg in 41 days | Southampton in 45 days
From Yantian, South China:
Rotterdam in 32 days | Hamburg in 35 days | Southampton in 38 days
This significantly improves direct connectivity for South China exports to North Europe.
Strategic Value
Bo Wegener, CEO of CMA CGM Asia Pacific, stated that the OCR route underscores the strategic importance of Asia‑Europe trade for CMA CGM’s global network. He emphasized the carrier’s focus on service reliability, helping customers achieve stable logistics on key trade lanes.
As one of the most competitive and critical routes in global container shipping, the Asia‑Europe corridor continues to be a major focus for liner companies. With its flexible vessel capacity, balanced port coverage and enhanced transit efficiency, CMA CGM’s new OCR service aims to deliver a stronger, more competitive option for exporters in Japan and South China.
Market attention will now turn to the operational performance of the new service following its early April launch.
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