Several of the world’s top container lines are entering in different vessel-sharing alliances following the current wave of mergers and acquisitions among carriers, reports China Daily.
There has been reports that had shocked the containership transport industry - the possible mega-alliance between French liner CMA CGM and China Cosco Shipping (COSCOCS), the recently merged China’s biggest shipping line.
Formed by Denmark's Maersk Line and Switzerland's Mediterranean Shipping Co SA, the 2M operates more than 2.1 million twenty-foot equivalent units (or TEUs, the industry measurements of capacity of container ships and terminals), and owns 193 vessels.
According to Alphaliner, a French maritime research firm, however, the Chinese and French firms are also seeking to rope in another two shipping companies within their "French-Asian Alliance" plan, in a group which would have an estimated 3 million TEUs.
Their two other partners would be Orient Overseas Container Line of Hong Kong and Taiwan-based Evergreen Line.
However, COSCOCS plans to carry out a careful selection of its future vessel-sharing alliance partners, but will maintain its two current alliances for the moment, the company said.
China COSCO , a unit of COSCO, is part of the CKYHE alliance with Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Yang Ming Marine Transport, Hanjin Shipping and Evergreen Marine, while China Shipping Container Lines , a unit of China Shipping Group, CMA CGM and United Arab Shipping Co make up the Ocean Three alliance.
“The new group will choose its future partners carefully, and is committed to building a strong and competitive alliance,” a spokeswoman for COSCOCS said in an email to Reuters.