Federal Maritime Commissioner William P. Doyle released the following statement today following the vessel sharing agreement filed with the FMC by the OCEAN ALLIANCE parties: “The OCEAN ALLIANCE consisting of CMA CGM, COSCO Shipping, OOCL and EVERGREEN filed their vessel sharing agreement today with the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission. I appreciate senior representatives visiting the Commission this week to explain their proposed alliance model. I note that the ocean carrier services being offered to the United Sates include a significant increase in new port calls on the east and gulf coasts. This all water service from Asia to U.S. east and gulf ports is a direct result of the newly expanded Panama Canal. In addition, carriers are looking to transition from their former alliances in or about March, 2017, and subject to regulatory approval, begin full operation by April of 2017. I look forward to reviewing and studying the proposed OCEAN ALLIANCE filing submitted by the ocean carriers.”