Starting August 16, the container transportation and shipping company CMA CGM will use the port of Tripoli as a transshipment port between China and Europe, according to a source.
The director of the port Ahmad Tamer said: “This move will transform the port from a secondary hub into a primary one.”
Starting next month, at least 800 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) will pass through the port per week. After that, the vessels will move the merchandise to neighboring ports.
Recently, CMA CGM opened a warehouse and office space in Port of Tripoli’s free zone.
This shipping company is among the largest in the world and number one in France. It was founded by the late French-Lebanese businessman Jacques Saadé in 1978. The company had one ship, four employees, and one shipping line between Beirut, Lattakia, Marseille, and Livorno.
China is also about to invest in Tripoli. A Chinese company is looking to revive the railway from the northern city to the Lebanese-Syria border.
Lebanon’s strategic geographical location makes it an interesting country for investors and traders.
China is now ready to reconstruct Syria, and since it needs to ship material, a railway in Tripoli could give it access to the eastern Mediterranean.
In fact, Syria has two ports. Unfortunately, they are not deep enough to support large vessels. Also, they are currently dominated by Russia.
