ports

Shipping Lines Deploy Newbuilds to Booming Asia-South America Trade

Container lines are channeling fresh tonnage into the Asia-South America corridor as import demand surges across the region. CMA CGM deployed the 13,136 teu methanol-fueled CMA CGM Copper to the ACSA 1 service, jointly operated with Cosco and OOCL. The vessel follows sister ship CMA CGM Platinum on the same route. Its 2,100 reefer plugs suit the trade's cold-chain requirements. Maersk Line took delivery of the 8,900 teu Maersk Tokyo on long-term charter from Nissen Kaiun and positioned it on the AC 3 service. South American container imports climbed 9.1 percent year-over-year in the January-April 2026 period, accelerating to 10.5 percent growth in April. China shipments surged nearly 20 percent, representing 40 percent of total regional imports. Brazil drove growth, accounting for 26 percent of imports with a 14 percent increase.