CMA CGM has announced a major strategic reconfiguration of its WAX (West Africa Express) services, transitioning from a single corridor into three dedicated loops. This upgrade is designed to meet surging market demand in the West African Central Range, offering increased capacity and significantly improved transit times from North and Southeast Asia. The new structure introduces two new services, WAX1 and WAX2, which will work alongside the existing WAX3 to provide comprehensive coverage across the region’s most critical trade hubs.
Three Dedicated Loops for Enhanced Connectivity
The “triple-loop” strategy allows CMA CGM to offer more specialized rotations, reducing port congestion delays and ensuring higher schedule reliability for high-value cargo. The WAX1 service focuses on a direct link to Lekki and Kribi, starting with the CMA CGM ZEPHYR departing Qingdao on 30 March 2026. Its rotation includes Ningbo, Nansha, Shekou, Singapore, Colombo, Abidjan, Lekki, Kribi, and Vung Tau.
Simultaneously, the WAX2 service will focus on Tema and Pointe Noire, with its first sailing by the MAERSK CAMPBELL also departing Qingdao on 30 March 2026. This loop covers Nansha, Tanjung Pelepas, Tema, Abidjan, and Pointe Noire. The existing WAX3 service remains unchanged, continuing its essential role as a gateway for Singapore, Tanjung Pelepas, Lome, Apapa, Onne, and Cotonou.
Strategic Impact: Supporting West African Growth
The timing of this upgrade aligns with the operational ramp-up of the Lekki Deep Sea Port in Nigeria and the Kribi Conteneurs Terminal in Cameroon. By including these ports in the new WAX1 rotation, CMA CGM is positioning itself as a leader in the next generation of African maritime infrastructure. This reconfiguration offers shippers reduced transit times via direct calls from major Chinese ports and significantly increased capacity to scale with the African market’s growth.
The separation of these loops ensures that specific markets, such as Ghana and Congo, receive more consistent, dedicated weekly windows. The new service structure highlights CMA CGM’s “Africa-First” strategy, leveraging its global mainline network to provide seamless connectivity for international brands expanding into the continent.
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