(Washington) Port development, new ships under the American flag, R&D with American technology: French shipping giant CMA CGM will invest $20 billion in the United States, announced President Donald Trump himself alongside the CEO of the French group.
« I am pleased to announce that [CMA CGM] will invest $20 billion in the United States, » he said from the White House, in the presence of Rodolphe Saadé, CEO of the world’s third-largest shipping company.
The U.S. president stated that this investment was a result of the presidential election, which led to « great protections. »
Since his inauguration in January, Donald Trump has started raising U.S. import taxes, which increases the entry costs for companies not established in the U.S.
« This massive investment will consist of building infrastructures and logistics terminals for maritime transport, which will create about 10,000 new jobs in the U.S., » said Donald Trump.
Rodolphe Saadé expressed his « great enthusiasm » regarding this investment, which could expand « in the coming weeks, » including the potential construction of container ships.
« Thank you very much, Mr. President. »
« We would like, Mr. President, to have more ships flying the American flag. We are going to go from the ten we operate today to 30 American-flagged ships, and we hope to do more in the coming months. Thank you very much, Mr. President, » Rodolphe Saadé said from the Oval Office, in front of a map of the U.S. with the bold caption « Gulf of America » (a name chosen by Donald Trump to replace « Gulf of Mexico »).
CMA CGM’s net profit surged in 2024 (to $5.71 billion with a turnover of $55.5 billion) thanks to the dynamism of global trade and high freight rates, due to disruptions in the Red Sea.
However, when presenting its results at the end of February, the group seemed to prepare for an uncertain 2025, with the potential of U.S. customs barriers « accelerating the reorganization of global logistics flows, » said CFO Ramon Fernandez. He expressed concern over the U.S. Commerce Department’s proposal to tax all commercial ships docking in U.S. ports if they are built in China or fly the Chinese flag.
The announced $20 billion investment over four years « reinforces CMA CGM’s historical partnership with the U.S. in maritime transport and logistics, supporting the U.S. economy and exports, » said the French group based in Marseille (Southern France) in a statement published after the announcement.
« Over the next four years, we will significantly increase our fleet of U.S.-flagged ships, increase the capacity of major container ports on the East and West coasts, develop state-of-the-art warehouses across the country, and establish a major air cargo hub in Chicago, » the CEO clarified.
The group plans to develop its port infrastructure particularly at strategic sites like New York, Los Angeles, Dutch Harbor, Houston, and Miami. The goal is to « make operations and supply chains more efficient, accelerate digitization and connectivity, while enhancing the safety of port workers and goods. »
Warehouses, air cargo, and logistics R&D center…
CMA CGM plans to open new warehouses and state-of-the-art automotive logistics platforms.
Present in the U.S. for 35 years, the shipping company, which owns the American shipping company American President Lines (APL), is present in 40 U.S. states, where it employs 15,000 people. Each year, it transports more than 5 million containers to and from the United States.
These new investments « will strengthen APL’s position as the primary freight carrier for the U.S. government, while ensuring safe, open, and reliable access to global maritime routes, » said the group, which has over 650 ships and employs a total of 160,000 people in 160 countries.
In addition to the ports, CMA CGM plans to expand its air cargo capacity in the U.S. with the creation of a hub in Chicago and the deployment of five new Boeing 777 freighters, which will have American pilots: « This will enhance U.S. trade and connectivity. »
A new logistics R&D center is also announced in Boston, focusing on innovative robotics and automation solutions and developed « with leading American technology partners. »
Source: la presse
