MSC Steps in to Support ONE, HMM, and Yang Ming
1 week ago
MSC Steps in to Support ONE, HMM, and Yang Ming
Starting next February, THE Alliance will be rebranded as the Premier Alliance, with Ocean Network Express (ONE), HMM, and Yang Ming Marine Transportation continuing their partnership. The world's largest container line, Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC), will step in to support the trio by filling capacity gaps on the Asia-Europe trade lanes.
Next year will mark the most significant realignment in liner alliances in over a decade. MSC is set to end its 2M vessel-sharing agreement with Maersk and largely operate independently. Following this, Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd will exit THE Alliance to join Maersk under a new cooperation framework called the Gemini Cooperation. This reshuffle initially left ONE, HMM, and Yang Ming as the smallest group on the key east-west trade routes.
Today, the three Asian carriers confirmed their commitment to remain partners through at least 2030, unveiling their new identity as the Premier Alliance. "This tripartite partnership will deliver robust, reliable, and highly dependable end-to-end direct port container services on both transpacific and Asia-Europe routes," said Jeremy Nixon, CEO of ONE.
In a more headline-grabbing development, the Premier Alliance has negotiated a slot exchange agreement with MSC for nine services on the Asia-Europe routes, helping to close the capacity gap caused by recent alliance shifts.
MSC also revealed the details of its standalone services, which will launch in February 2025. The company will operate across five east-west trade routes with 34 loops, signaling a new era for the carrier. "This marks a pivotal moment in MSC's global network and aligns with the founding family’s vision," said Soren Toft, CEO of MSC. Over the last four years, MSC, led by the Aponte family, has embarked on a remarkable expansion, ordering over 2 million TEU of newbuilds and acquiring nearly 400 secondhand ships. This aggressive growth saw MSC surpass Maersk as the world's largest container carrier in early 2022.
In the wake of Hapag-Lloyd’s exit from THE Alliance, ONE, HMM, and Yang Ming have been exploring new partnerships. A senior executive at Taiwan’s Wan Hai Lines recently confirmed that his company had been approached to join a shipping alliance, though he did not disclose which one.
As of February 2025, the east-west trade lanes will see MSC primarily operating independently, the launch of the Premier Alliance, the formation of the Gemini Cooperation, and the continuation of the Ocean Alliance comprising CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, and OOCL which recently extended their vessel-sharing agreement until March 2032.
Source: Splash247