The Port of Gothenburg has achieved a historic milestone with the launch of a new direct service to Asia by CMA CGM on October 26. This development marks the first time in the port’s 400-year history that three separate direct container services connect Gothenburg with Asia each week — the others operated by Maersk/Hapag-Lloyd and MSC.
“It is the first time in the port’s 400-year history that we have three direct services to and from Asia, so of course this is both special and exciting – but also logical,” said Claes Sundmark, Vice President Sales and Marketing at the Port of Gothenburg. “Trade between Sweden and Asia has been growing for a long time, and with three weekly calls by three different shipping companies, the conditions for continued growth have never been better.”
In 2024, approximately 700,000 containers were transported between Sweden and Asia, most of them via Gothenburg. Swedish exports primarily include forest products, machinery, and industrial components, while imports from Asia mainly consist of consumer goods, electronics, clothing, and food.
The surge in Asian trade is contributing to a new record year in container volumes for Gothenburg. Earlier in 2025, MSC launched its own direct Asia service, and Maersk/Hapag-Lloyd’s Gemini cooperation shifted to make Gothenburg its main European hub.
Now, with CMA CGM’s entry, the port further strengthens its role as the Nordic hub for Asia-bound trade. The new CMA CGM service will call the following ports: Ningbo – Shanghai – Yantian – Singapore – Tangier – Dunkirk – Southampton – Gothenburg – Gdansk – Le Havre – Southampton – Port Klang – Ningbo.
All three Asia services call at the APM Terminals-operated container terminal in Gothenburg, reinforcing the port’s growing importance in global trade.
