The CMA-CGM, UASC and CSCL “Ocean Three” agreement will redraw service schedules around the globe, as UK based liner shipping expert Paul Richardson writes on how the new agreement will shape up. The world’s third largest container shipping line, CMA-CGM, together with United Arab Shipping Co (UASC) and China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL), has formally signed a vessel sharing, slot sharing and slot purchase agreement to offer joint services covering the Asia-North Europe, Asia-Mediterranean, Asia-US East Coast and Asia-US West Coast trades. The effective date of commencement of the joint service agreement is  provisionally placed for December 2014, less than six months after Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) announced the signing of the 2M alliance agreement that left out CMA-CGM from the previously abandoned P3 Network set up. All three lines involved in the Ocean Three agreement are at great pains to emphasise that this is an “agreement” and the word “alliance” does not necessarily apply to such an undertaking. Almost all the 17 services that come under the Ocean Three agreement, are already in operation by one or two of the lines, but the involvement of the other line or lines comes through a combination of vessel or slot deals. To cover the Asia-Europe trade, six weekly services will operate, and two of those are already in operation. Over on the Asia-Mediterranean trade there will be four weekly services comprising two to cover the Mediterranean, one to cover the Adriatic and another specifically to cater for the Black Sea trade. On the Transpacific trades there will be four weekly services to cover California and a further service to offer connections on the Pacific Northwest (United States and Canada), while on the Asia-US East trade, one service operates via the Suez Canal, and another will transit the Panama Canal to specifically cater for the Gulf of Mexico trade. In addition to these, the Ocean Three lines are also finalising an agreement to cover the Europe-US East Coast transatlantic trade. Details of the six Asia-North Europe services with the changes to the present structure follow with the service name included where it exists at present. CMA-CGM vice Chairman, Rodolphe Saade commenting on the Ocean Three agreement said, “We are very pleased to have signed these three agreements with such reputable partners, whom we both know and appreciate Ocean Three will allow us to propose to our clients a high quality and reliable alternative to existing services on the market. CMA CGM will continue its global development.” FAL1 (CMA-CGM) • (UASC) • (CSCL)  Port rotation: Ningbo, Shanghai, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Chiwan, Yantian, Port Kelang, Tangier, Southampton, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Le Havre, Khorfakkan, Jebel Ali, Port Kelang, Ningbo Changes: Bremerhaven and Malta (e/b) dropped from present schedule. FAL2 (CMA-CGM) AEX7 (UASC) AEC8 (CSCL)  Port rotation: Ningbo, Shanghai, Xiamen, Yantian, Port Kelang, Port Said, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp, Felixstowe, Jeddah, Port Kelang, Shekou, Ningbo Changes: New calls at Xiamen and Felixstowe, while Le Havre is dropped from present schedule. FAL3 (CMA-CGM) AEX 4 (UASC) • (CSCL) Port rotation: Tianjin, Dalian, Pusan, Qingdao, Shanghai, Yantian, Port Kelang, Dunkirk, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Southampton, Le Havre, Beirut, Jeddah, Port Kelang, Tianjin Changes: Singapore dropped in both east and westbound directions from present schedule. • FAL8 (CMA-CGM)  AEX1 (UASC) AEC1 (CSCL) Port rotation: Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Yantian, Port Kelang, Felixstowe, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Zeebrugge, Port Kelang, Yantian, Qingdao FAL15 (CMA-CGM) • (UASC) AEX10 (CSCL) This service is a slot agreement on the Evergreen CES service. Port rotation: Taipei, Ningbo, Shanghai, Colombo, Felixstowe, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Le Havre, Colombo, Taipei FAL16 (CMA-CGM) AEC3 (UASC) • (CSCL) This service is a slot agreement on the Evergreen CEM service. Port rotation: Kaohsiung, Shanghai, Ningbo, Shekou, Tanjung Pelepas, Rotterdam, Felixstowe, Rotterdam, Tanjung Pelepas, Kaohsiung There will be no coverage of Piraeus (e/b and w/b). Piraeus does figure on the existing CEM service port rotation. On the Asia-Mediterranean trade, there will be four services initially comprising capacity that is already deployed on the trade. MEX1 (CMA-CGM) • (UASC) • (CSCL)  Port rotation : Shanghai, Ningbo, Yantian, Chiwan, Port Kelang, Malta, Valencia, Barcelona, Fos, Malta, Salalah, Port Kelang, Shanghai, Ningbo The present MEX1/AE11 is operated by CMA-CGM/Maersk. MEX3 (CMA-CGM) • (UASC) • (CSCL)  Port rotation: Qingdao, Pusan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Shekou, Port Kelang, Port Said, La Spezia, Genoa, Fos, Barcelona, Valencia, Port Said, Jeddah, Khorfakkan, Port Kelang, Qingdao The present MEX3/AE20 is operated by CMA-CGM/Maersk. BEX (CMA-CGM) • (UASC) • (CSCL) Port rotation: Dalian, Tianjin, Kwangyang, Pusan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Chiwan, Port Kelang, Beirut, Piraeus, Izmit, Ambarli, Constantza, Odessa, Ilichevsk, Ambarli, Piraeus, Port Said, Port Kelang, Dalian The present BEX/AE3 is operated by CMA-CGM/Maersk. PHOEX (CMA-CGM)  • (UASC) • (CSCL) Port rotation: Shanghai, Pusan, Ningbo, Chiwan, Port Kelang, Malta, Rijeka, Koper, Trieste, Venice, Koper, Port Said, Port Kelang, Shanghai The present PHOEX/AE12 is operated by CMA-CGM/Maersk. Main existing coverage of the Asia-Med trade by UASC and CSCL is via the joint AMC1/AMX1 service operated with 7,000/8,900 teu vessels, and additionally for CSCL through the ABS joint service with K Line, Yangming, PIL and Wan Hai to cover the Black Sea trade. On the Asia-USWC trade, there will be five services initially comprising capacity that is already deployed on the trade. PRX (CMA-CGM) • (UASC) • (CSCL) Port rotation: Fuqing, Xiamen, Nansha, Chiwan, Hong Kong, Yantian, Long Beach, Oakland, Fuqing TWX (CMA-CGM) • (UASC) • (CSCL) Port rotation: Hong Kong, Yantian, Kaohsiung, Keelung, Los Angeles, Oakland, Pusan, Kwangyang, Kaohsiung, Keelung, Hong Kong YANGTZE (CMA-CGM) • (UASC) • (CSCL) Port rotation: Ningbo, Shanghai, Pusan, Los Angeles, Oakland, Ningbo BOHAI (CMA-CGM) • (UASC) • (CSCL) Port rotation: Qingdao, Lianyungang, Shanghai, Ningbo, Los Angeles, Oakland, Qingdao Transpac Leg of Pendulum Service COLUMBUS (CMA-CGM) • (UASC) • (CSCL) Port rotation: Port Kelang, Hong Kong, Yantian, Ningbo, Shanghai, Pusan, Seattle, Vancouver, Shanghai, Ningbo, Hong Kong, Yantian, Port Kelang On the Asia-USEC trade, there will be two services initially comprising capacity that is already deployed on the trade Asia/Med/USEC leg of pendulum service. COLUMBUS (CMA-CGM) • (UASC) • (CSCL) Port rotation picking up from last port on previous service: Port Kelang, (Suez) Port Said, New York, Norfolk, Savannah, Port Said, (Suez), Port Kelang PEX3 (CMA-CGM) • (UASC) • (CSCL) Port rotation: Hong Kong, Xiamen, Ningbo, Shanghi, Pusan, Manzanillo (Pan), Houston, Mobile, Miami, Jacksonville, Charleston, Hong Kong