The CMA CGM group has quietly re-entered the Russian market through its intra-Asia brand CNC Line, offering sailings on the Baltic Express Line (BEL), according to DynaLiners. Earlier plans to extend the Finland Express (FLX) service to St. Petersburg did not materialise.
Instead, the group is now providing capacity on the BEL service, which links St. Petersburg with Rotterdam. The connection is offered via slots on a single 500 TEU vessel operated by Seabow. While modest in scale, the move marks CMA CGM’s effective return to Russia.
The group emphasises that the service fully complies with all sanctions currently in place and will focus primarily on transporting food cargo.
