CMA CGM has marked the maiden call of its new Ocean Rise Express (OCR) service at the Port of Kobe, strengthening direct connectivity between Japan and Northern Europe.
The weekly service provides a direct link from Japan to major European gateways, with transit times of approximately 38 days to Rotterdam, 41 days to Hamburg and 45 days to Southampton.
The inaugural call was carried out by the CMA CGM TOSCA, an 8,000 TEU vessel. The service rotation includes Kobe, Nagoya and Yokohama in Japan, followed by Xiamen and Yantian in China, before calling at key ports in Northern Europe.
OCR is designed to improve schedule reliability and reduce transit times, supporting shippers seeking greater predictability across Asia–Europe trade lanes.
In parallel, CMA CGM is enhancing its Eagle Express 1 (EX1) service, strengthening connectivity between Japan and the United States West Coast.
The upgraded service includes additional port calls at Kobe, Nagoya and Yokohama, with transit times to Los Angeles of 16, 14 and 12 days, respectively. The service operates weekly and connects with CMA CGM’s terminal network in Los Angeles, Busan and Yokohama.
CMA CGM has been present in Japan since 2007 and currently operates 15 services across 14 ports, supported by five offices and approximately 200 employees.
Through its logistics arm, CEVA Logistics, the group also provides integrated end-to-end logistics services across the country, supporting its broader supply chain offering.
