What’s happening: French shipping company CMA CGM has spent the past year redesigning its logistics network in the mid-Atlantic through the simultaneous rollout of two major operational initiatives: the launch of the Kora Express service, connecting Northern Europe with West Africa, and the strengthening of its SECI route, which directly links mainland Spain with the Canary Islands through high-frequency weekly sailings.
Why it matters: This reconfiguration places the Canary Islands’ ports—and Tenerife in particular—at the center of a maritime landscape in which major corporations are seeking to optimize transit times and capacity amid volatility in global supply chains. The French company’s strategy combines faster transit to the Gulf of Guinea with the consolidation of stable supply lines to the island market.
CMA CGM is thus joining other major shipping companies, such as Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), which have been carrying out the same transshipment operations at TCTenerife. The decision highlights the quality of the service provided at the terminal and the satisfaction of the shipping lines that choose it.
The European axis and the bridge to West Africa
The KORA EXPRESS service marks its first anniversary in October 2026, and the shipping company wants to increase its presence in Tenerife. Operating from Southampton aboard the Navios Verano, it offers weekly sailings with vessels featuring a nominal capacity of 4,200 TEUs. The route connects the ports of Antwerp and Tema in 15 days, incorporating calls at key locations in Northern Europe and linking directly with the Mediterranean transshipment hubs of Tanger Med and Algeciras.
To fine-tune this coverage, CMA CGM has restructured its EURAF 5 service, assigning it exclusively to the southern African corridor. Through this division of routes, the shipping company separates fast import traffic to Ghana, Nigeria, Benin and Senegal from direct access to markets such as Mauritania, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo and Angola.
Logistics integration with the Canary Islands market
Alongside its expansion in Africa, the multinational is consolidating its position in the archipelago by optimizing the SECI service. The addition of the CT Pachuca increased to three the number of weekly departures from the Port of Seville to the islands, establishing fixed calls at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the latter serving as a hub.
This mixed fleet, combining container ships and roll-on/roll-off vessels, can handle refrigerated, oversized and industrial project cargo. The operation is also integrated with high-frequency rail connections from Madrid and Bilbao, completing an intermodal chain that secures Tenerife’s supply and strengthens its role as a leading logistics platform in the Atlantic.
The article CMA CGM’s Atlantic push: Growing interest in the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife was first published on canarymaritime.com.
