CMA CGM S.A. (CMA CGM) Wednesday announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with COSCO Container Lines (COSCO), Evergreen Line (Evergreen) and Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) to form a new shipping alliance, known as “Ocean Alliance.”
Ocean Alliance would control 23.5 percent of the world’s container capacity, against 2M’s 27.7 percent share.
CMA CGM is currently part of the Ocean Three alliance, along with China Shipping Group and United Arab Shipping Co. (UASC), but with China Shipping having merged with Cosco, it leaves UASC seeking new partners.OOCL is currently part of the G6 alliance, and with CMA CGM having offered to take APL out of G6 as part of its efforts to push through EU approval for its acquisition of Neptune Orient Lines (NOL), it leaves remaining members Hapag-Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) to fill in the gaps there.
COSCO and Evergreen are currently part of the CKYHE alliance, so Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” Line), Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation (Yang Ming), and Hanjin Shipping will be the remaining members there.
Left unaltered would be the 2M Alliance between the world’s top two container carriers, Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Co. (MSC).
