CMA CGM has officially listed for sale Bolloré Logistics Polynesia, based in Tahiti, a move made necessary by regulators concerned about a regional monopoly following the French carrier’s takeover of the parent company.

At one stage in February the Polynesian Competition Authority (ACP) was threatening to ban CMA CGM’s weekly Panama Direct (PAD) service from the port of Papeete, and/or work to torpedo the €4.85 billion takeover which was then still awaiting European Community approval.

The ACP determined the “buyout raised a risk of blocking access of freight forwarders to transport services with CMA CGM containers and the risk of increases in the price of services as well as a possible impact on the selling price of goods to the consumer”.

CMA CGM’s initial application to the ACB in October 2023 asserted that Bolloré was not active in logistics services in French Polynesia, and the group’s other logistics arm, CEVA, was only “moderately active”. However, the ACP discovered upon further review that while Bolloré did not offer logistic services or organise land transport services it held a minority stake in a freight forwarder, Transit et Transport International Tahiti, which controlled imports. 

The ACP expressed concern that the new entity created in the merger would have had a “high-capacity blocking access to maritime transport of goods on the Europe-French Polynesia route.” It found CMA CGM had a “quasi-monopoly” on the route and the acquisition of Bolloré Logistics Polynesia would have added to its dominant position, the Maritime Executive reported.

The Loadstar overnight reported that CMA CGM had initiated the sale of 100% of Bolloré Logistics’ activities in Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Martin, French Guiana and Polynesia.

“In this context, the CMA CGM group has received a put option from Balguerie Group, with which it has signed an exclusivity agreement for the sale of these activities,” the carrier said.

According to their website Bollore Logistics Polynesia has three offices, a 600 sq m warehouse, and 37 employees.