CMA CGM reported a 2.9% increase in volumes during the first quarter, to 3.2 million TEU, beating the market which grew by 1.2%, and focused on maintaining its core EBIT margin, the company said in its press release.
The increase is mainly attributable to growth in the Transatlantic and Transpacific lines operating to and from the United States, which offset the decrease in volumes carried between Asia and Europe, where the Group had scaled back its capacity in response to weaker demand. Consolidated since 1 July 2015, OPDR also contributed to the increase in volume.
In an environment characterised by strong pressure on freight rates, average revenue per TEU fell 17.6%, a decrease that remains smaller than the average decline in the Group's benchmark indices and reflects the ongoing imbalance between supply and demand.
CMA CGM's revenue came in at $3.4 billion for the period, down as compared to first-quarter 2015 when the Group benefited from particularly favourable freight rates and volumes.
CMA CGM continued to implement its cost control policy, once again reducing its unit costs in the first three months of the year. This enabled the Group to achieve core EBIT of $3 million despite challenging conditions.
The Group reported a net loss of $100 million in first-quarter 2016.