Supply Chain · Profile from Supply Chain Research Companion
CMA CGM
The Marseille-based, Saadé-family-controlled container carrier that Jacques Saadé started in 1978 with one chartered ship, which grew by buying the French state line CGM (1996), Singapore's NOL and its American President Lines (APL) brand (2016), and then turned the 2021–22 windfall into the world's broadest carrier conglomerate: the third-largest container line (behind MSC and Maersk, reported), CEVA Logistics and Bolloré Logistics in forwarding and contract logistics, terminals including Fenix Marine Services at the Port of Los Angeles, an air-cargo airline, and French media (BFM TV and RMC). In the United States it is best known through APL, the US-flag line that carries US government and military cargo, and through the ~$20bn four-year US investment pledge Rodolphe Saadé made at the White House on 6 Mar 2025, including a plan to grow APL's US-flag fleet from 10 to 30 ships (company, reported). Its story turns on capital matched to the cycle: a near-collapse in the 2009 trough, then a windfall in 2021–22 converted into logistics, ports and media before the cycle turned. Group revenue was ~$54.4bn in 2025 (−2.0%) with EBITDA ~$10.6bn (company, reported).
At a glance
- Founded
- 1978, Marseille: Compagnie Maritime d'Affrètement (CMA) founded by Jacques Saadé, a Lebanese-born shipping entrepreneur who had left Beirut during the civil war (company history; month verify)
- Headquarters
- Marseille, France (Tour CMA CGM)
- Ownership / structure
- Private: controlled by the Saadé family (through Merit Corporation / Merit France); the French state investment bank Bpifrance holds a minority stake (reported, verify size); bonds issued publicly. Not listed
- Leadership (2026)
- Rodolphe Saadé, chairman and CEO (CEO from 2017, chairman after his father's death in Jun 2018, reported); Tanya Saadé Zeenny and Jacques Saadé Jr. in senior roles (reported, verify titles)
- Segments
- Maritime (container shipping under the CMA CGM, APL, ANL, CNC, Containerships, Mercosul and other brands); Logistics (CEVA Logistics, including Bolloré Logistics from 2024, GEFCO and Ingram Micro CLS); Other activities (terminals, CMA CGM Air Cargo, media)
- Scale
- 2025: revenue ~$54.4bn (−2.0%); EBITDA ~$10.6bn (19.4% margin); container volumes ~24.2m TEU (+2.8%); average revenue per TEU ~$1,414 (−8.7%); shipping EBITDA ~$7.9bn (from ~$11.2bn); CEVA revenue ~$18.3bn, EBITDA ~$1.7bn; other activities revenue ~$4.3bn (+48.4%), EBITDA ~$958m (company results, Mar 2026, via trade press). Q1 2026: revenue ~$13.2bn, EBITDA ~$2.1bn (−31.6%), 5.9m TEU (company, May 2026, reported). Net income not given in the sources checked
- US footprint
- APL (US-flag fleet of ~10 ships of 1,700–5,500 TEU with >350 US seafarers at Mar 2025, company); Fenix Marine Services, Los Angeles (Pier 300); terminals in New York/New Jersey (verify which); CEVA's US contract logistics and forwarding; Chicago air-cargo hub plan (reported)
- Alliance
- Ocean Alliance with COSCO (and OOCL) and Evergreen since 2017; the largest alliance by capacity (~29%, aggregator, verify)
- Signature moves (incl. failures)
- Founding (1978); CGM (1996); debt crisis and restructuring (2009–10, failure); NOL/APL (2016); CEVA (2019); French rate cut under government pressure and media buys (2022–24); Bolloré Logistics (2024) and the Wincanton loss to GXO; the $20bn US pledge (2025)
8 strategic moves analysed
Each one gets a full strategy file in the companion: context, the decision, the financing, what happened, and the lesson.
1978
Founding in Marseille
Founding
1996
CGM Privatisation Takeover
Acquisition (privatisation purchase)
2009
Debt Crisis and Restructuring
Restructuring (failure and rescue)
2016
NOL and APL Acquisition
Acquisition (cash tender offer)
2019
CEVA Logistics Takeover
Acquisition / strategy pivot (carrier into logistics)
2022
French Rate Cut and Media Investments
Pricing change under political pressure; diversification into media (controversy)
2024
Bollore Logistics Acquisition
Acquisition (and a lost competing bid for Wincanton, UK)
2025
US 20bn Investment Pledge
Network build (fleet, terminals, logistics, air hub) / regulatory and political response