CMA CGM, COSCO and OOCL Launch SEAS A Service Between Asia and South America

Shipping lines CMA CGM, COSCO and OOCL announced the launch of the SEAS A service, a new weekly ocean route connecting Asia with the east coast of South America. The operation, led by CMA CGM, will begin running in Brazil in January 2027, with the first departure from Asia scheduled for December 17, 2026, when the vessel CMA CGM Xenon sails from Ningbo, China.

The SEAS A rotation will start in Ningbo and continue through Shanghai, Shekou and Singapore before crossing to South America, where it will call at Santos, at the Portonave terminal in Navegantes, Montevideo and Buenos Aires, before returning to Navegantes and Santos with final destination in Coega, South Africa. In this way, the route will also link markets in Africa and the Middle East with the Río de la Plata region.

One of the key features of the new service will be the transport of reefer cargo, for both importers and exporters, on connections between Asian and South American markets. The companies noted that expanding this route offering could benefit trade in products requiring temperature control during transport.

The Portonave terminal, located in Navegantes, on the northern coast of Santa Catarina, was Brazil's first private container port terminal and began operations in 2007. The company directly employs more than 1,400 people and generates around 5,500 indirect jobs, while undergoing an expansion plan of up to R$ 2,000 million aimed at modernizing the berth and acquiring new equipment.