PARIS, Oct 11 (Reuters) - An exceptional tax on shipping

proposed by the French government in a belt-tightening budget

would cost CMA CGM 800 million euros ($875 million) over two

years that it would not able to invest in its fleet, the group's

finance chief told Les Echos.

The levy represented a "competitive disadvantage" for CMA

CGM, the world's third-largest container shipping line, Chief

Financial Officer Ramon Fernandez told the business daily in an

article published on Friday, adding that the levy should be

limited in duration.

($1 = 0.9138 euros)