Huge news for The Port :
The
Port of Cork is where the French-owned CMA CGM Group, a global player in
sea, land, air, and logistics solutions, has announced the enhancement of its Transatlantic PAD (Panama Direct) service with a new direct call to the
Irish port, starting this month.
This enhanced service starting on 28 April is to further strengthen Ireland’s connectivity to key U.S. and high-growth Oceania markets and reinforcing supply chain resilience.
Cork will benefit from a direct weekly connection to New York and Savannah, offering best-in-class transit times and market-leading speed. Beyond Cork, the PAD service delivers the fastest links from Le Havre to both New York and Savannah, while also providing highly competitive transit times from Ireland to the U.S. East Coast.
Shippers will benefit from transit times of approximately 9 days from Cork to New York and 11 days to Savannah, combined with enhanced schedule reliability supported by the deployment of an additional vessel and optimized port rotations, ensuring greater predictability across the supply chain.
The enhanced PAD service stands out through its unique market coverage, offering direct calls at Dunkerque and Zeebrugge that are not available elsewhere on the market, alongside a comprehensive North Europe network including Le Havre and Rotterdam.
It also provides connectivity to Baltic and Scandinavian markets through CMA CGM’s Rotterdam hub, enabling efficient feedering solutions across Northern Europe. In the United States, the service leverages CMA CGM’s Port Liberty terminals, ensuring priority berthing upon arrival and reinforcing schedule reliability in a context of ongoing port congestion risks.
The PAD service is designed to support a wide range of commodities, including pharmaceuticals, beverages, and spirits, as well as general cargo. This positioning makes it particularly well suited for high-value and time-sensitive shipments, offering customers a reliable and competitive solution across the North Europe–U.S. trade lane.
The addition of Cork provides Irish exporters and importers with a direct, reliable, and competitive solution to access major U.S. markets, reducing transit times while improving supply chain predictability. This fast transit offering represents a credible alternative to air freight solutions.
The Group has been present in Ireland for over 20 years, supporting the country’s trade through regular maritime services and a dedicated local office. The operator calls at three Irish ports and offers up to 6 weekly sailings, ensuring strong connectivity and reliable service for its customers.
Through its global network, CMA CGM connects Ireland to more than 420 ports worldwide, facilitating access to key international markets. The Group supports major sectors of the Irish economy, including pharmaceuticals, agri-food, and manufacturing.
In addition, through its subsidiary CEVA Logistics, CMA CGM provides comprehensive end-to-end logistics solutions, further strengthening its integrated offering in the country.
