The CMA CGM Group will implement the shipping industry’s first Early Container Return Incentive Programme at the FMS terminal in Los Angeles, and all CMA CGM return locations in Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City and Memphis.
“The programme will begin on May 16, 2022, and continue until July 15, 2022 with the goal of accelerating the return of empty containers and ensuring U.S. exporters have even greater access to equipment,” according to an official statement.
CMA CGM was the first to freeze spot rates, and the company also implemented a programme to encourage the early pickup of containers, which resulted in a 73 percent decrease in dwell of CMA CGM containers over nine days in Southern California.
“In March, the Group dedicated vessel capacity to small and medium enterprises in both Europe and North America at rates typically only provided to high-volume shippers.”
The programme includes:
- A $300 per dry container returned to eligible locations during calendar days 1–4.
- Calculation of incentive credits on a weekly basis with a credit memo issued every 14 days to each applicable importer of record; and
- Utilisation of EDI transaction data to assess credit, thus no additional documentation required from customers.
The programme is projected to result in approximately 43,000 dry containers being put back into circulation within four days of pickup.