ANL celebrates 70 years as “Aussie shipping icon”

SHIPPING line ANL has celebrated its 70th anniversary this week, using the occasion to reflect upon its role in moving goods between Australia and key markets in Asia, Oceania and North America.

Founded in 1956 as an Australian government-owned shipping company, ANL has grown alongside the businesses and communities it serves. Since joining the CMA CGM Group in 1998, it has expanded its services across Oceania and beyond while retaining its strong regional roots.

Today, ANL is the CMA CGM Group’s Oceania specialist and the only container shipping company domiciled in the region.

Its 23 services connect Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands with Northeast and Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent and North America. ANL calls at 61 ports as part of the Group’s worldwide network of 331 ports.

In 2026, ANL launched ACX, a new service between China and Australia. It has also extended its reach to Port Vila and Santo in Vanuatu, as well as Gladstone, Port Hedland, Dampier and Wyndham in Australia.

For seven decades, ANL has helped Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Island businesses reach international markets. Its services carry a wide range of goods, including dairy products, meat, cereals, grains, flour and packaged foods.

In 2025, ANL transported Australian exports including more than 27,000 containers of cotton, 35,000 containers of meat and 12,000 containers of citrus fruit. From New Zealand, it carried 8,600 containers of kiwifruit, 10,500 containers of apples and pears, and more than 39,000 containers of dairy products.

With the Australian government’s announcement this year launching our country’s strategic fleet, ANL are aiding this national initiative with their vessel ANL Kokoda being the first in the fleet. This offers supply chain resilience and importantly, training berths for Australian seafarers.

Working towards more sustainable shipping

In line with the CMA CGM Group’s ambition to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, ANL is helping introduce lower-carbon shipping solutions in Oceania.

It conducted the region’s first container shipping biofuel trial in 2022 and, in 2025, operated the first voyage by an LNG-powered container ship in Oceania.

ANL also highlights its work supporting the natural environment.

Its Reef Recovery Program helps build and maintain coral nurseries on the Great Barrier Reef, with participating customers contributing according to their import or export volumes. Through its Rebuilding Koala Habitats initiative, ANL has planted thousands of trees over the past several years.

“I am honoured to be leading this new chapter for ANL as it celebrates 70 years of operations,” said Neusa Marcelino, managing director of ANL Container Line & CMA CGM Agencies Oceania.

“It continues to be a trusted brand, earned by seven decades of building strong foundations and successful customer relationships. ANL remains an intracule part of Australia's trade, connecting local customers to the world as well as continuing to expand to new regions in Oceania and beyond.

Ms Marcelino thanked customers for choosing ANL and said the company would “continue to focus on innovation and excellence to guarantee to serve our customers, partners and communities for another 70 years”.

“Seventy years after its founding, ANL continues to evolve with its customers and the region, guided by the CMA CGM Group’s purpose,” she said.

“We imagine better ways to serve a world in motion.”