U.S.-flagged fleet consists of 189 vessels, including tankers, containerships, dry bulk carriers, vehicle carriers, and more.
CMA CGM has officially reflagged the CMA CGM Phoenix under the U.S. registry, the first of four vessels the company is transferring as operations. with its commitment to triple the size of its U.S.-flagged fleet as part of a $20 billion investment into its U.S. ship and logistics operations.
The CMA CGM Phoenix
The CMA CGM Phoenix (115,000 dwt – 9,326 TEU) hoisted the U.S. flag in Charleston, South Carolina, in a ceremony to mark the completion of its transfer from Singapore to the U.S. registry. Built in 2013 by South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, the vessel had previously operated as the APL Phoenix.
A Neo-Panamax containership measuring 1,079 feet (328 meters) in length, the company and the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) are reporting that it has become the largest container vessel ever to sail under the U.S. flag.Operating between the U.S. East Coast and ports in Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka, the ship will employ 42 American mariners and serve as a training platform for cadets from Kings Point and U.S. state maritime academies.
This is part of CMA CGM‘s broader plan to triple its U.S.-flagged fleet, aiming for 30 vessels within four years. The company is also investing in expanding its U.S. terminal footprint and air freight operations.
The move supports both CMA CGM’s commercial ambitions and broader U.S. policy goals, aligning with MARAD (United States Maritime Administration) and bipartisan efforts to rebuild the U.S. merchant marine and boost national maritime capabilities.
A training platform for future officers
According to the company, the CMA CGM Phoenix will be followed by three other vessels, each with a capacity of 9,300 TEU. When the transfers are completed, the company will have increased by 50 percent the number of American seafarers it employs. In addition, it highlights that the CMA CGM Phoenix will serve as a training platform for future officers. Two cadets will be aboard each voyage from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point and the state maritime academies.
CMA CGM reports the vessel employs 42 American mariners, with 21 onboard at any given time, and members of two U.S. maritime unions. The ship is being deployed on the company’s service connecting the U.S. East Coast with Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka.
Meeting Saadé with Trump
It is noteworthy that Chairman and CEO of CMA CGM Group Rodolphe Saadé met with President Donald Trump in March, announcing the company’s plans to expand its role in the U.S. shipping industry. He committed the company to growing its U.S.-flagged fleet to 30 ships over the next four years. MARAD reports the CMA CGM Phoenix is the 11th U.S. flagged vessel in CMA CGM service.
A statement on the deal
In a statement on the deal, CMA CGM majority stakeholder, chairman and chief executive Rodolphe Saadé said the investment package would “significantly grow our US-flagged fleet, expand the capacity of key container ports on both coasts, develop state-of-the-art warehousing across the country, and establish a significant air cargo hub in Chicago”.
U.S.-flagged fleet
MARAD said the reflagging advances President Trump’s Executive Order of Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance. It reports, the current U.S.-flagged fleet consists of 189 vessels, including tankers, containerships, dry bulk carriers, vehicle carriers, and more. The order mirrors a bipartisan initiative in Congress that calls for the rebuilding of the American merchant marine.
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