by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor

French liner CMA CGM has announced the reflagging of its 9,300-TEU container ship, Phoenix, under the US flag. This marks the first of four such vessels to be reflagged this year.

This move is part of the carrier's strategy to triple the size of its US fleet to 30 ships over the next four years.

The Phoenix, now the largest container vessel to sail under the US flag, will operate on the Indamex service, connecting the US East Coast with India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

CMA CGM, which owns the US-flag carrier American President Lines (APL), revealed this development following a March meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House.

Rodolph Saade, head of CMA CGM Group, announced a USD 20 billion investment over the next four years to enhance the company's logistics presence in the US, including expanding its US-flag fleet and increasing capacity at key US ports.

In a separate development, Swiss-Italian carrier MSC is planning a significant renewal of its feeder fleet.

According to Splash247, Broker Braemar reports that MSC is looking to order up to 120 vessels, ranging in size from 1,100 to 5,000 TEUs, as part of a "megaproject."

This initiative is seen as a logical step given the average age of MSC's owned feeder tonnage is 22 years, and by the time these new vessels are delivered, the average age will exceed 25 years.

The new ships, likely to be built in Chinese yards, are expected to be delivered by 2029.

MSC, headquartered in Geneva, will soon become the first carrier to surpass the 7 million TEU mark.