New ocean carrier alliances abound…capacity cuts or redistribution? By Paul Richardson, AJOT The biggest consolidation of alliances, shipping lines and their individual capacity in the container shipping industry, is underway on the Asia/North Europe and Asia/Mediterranean trades, with a wide belief that inevitably the moves will spread to Asia/US trades, particularly covering the US West Coast. The latest developments are being brought in as lines struggle with negative financial bottom lines, and address the problems of continuing plunging freight rates. But on the positive side, all the consolidations so far confirmed will ensure deployment for many of the 160+ vessels over 10,000-teu capacity due for delivery in the next three years (see chart). Under the first consolidation programme revealed back in early December 2011, Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) and CMA-CGM formed an agreement to combine individual services that will effectively deploy 53 vessels with a total average weekly capacity of 63,000 teu across five different services. MSC/CMA-CGM Silk services On the MSC Silk Service, CMA-CGM will become a slot purchaser.
  • Silk/FAL6 Service port rotation: Dalian, Tianjin, Kwangyang, Pusan, Qingdao, Ningbo, Shanghai, Singapore, Port Kelang, Felixstowe, Zeebrugge, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Southampton, Valencia, Jebel Ali, Singapore, Hong Kong, Dalian.
    • Deployment: 11 x 14,000 teu MSC vessels.
  • Existing Silk Service port rotation: Ningbo, Shanghai, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Chiwan, Yantian, Singapore, Antwerp, Felixstowe, Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Valencia, Jebel Ali, Ningbo.
    • Deployment: 11 x 6,000/13,000 teu MSC vessels The same move is being made on the MSC Lion Service.
  • Lion/FAL7 Service port rotation: Ningbo, Shanghai, Xiamen, Chiwan, Yantian, Sines, Le Havre, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Felixstowe, Gioia Tauro, Singapore, Chiwan, Xiamen, Ningbo.
    • Deployment: 11 x 14,000 teu MSC vessels
  • Existing Lion Service port rotation: Qingdao, Pusan, Ningbo, Shanghai, Nansha, Hong Kong, Chiwan, Yantian, Sines, Le Havre, Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Antwerp, Felixstowe, Gioia Tauro, Singapore, Chiwan, Hong Kong, Qingdao.
    • Deployment: 11 x 9,000/14,000 teu MSC vessels On the CMA-CGM FAL3 service, MSC will ensure the slot purchaser role.
  • Swan/FAL3 Service port rotation: Tianjin, Pusan, Qingdao, Shanghai, Xiamen, Singapore, Port Kelang, Tangiers, Le Havre, Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Antwerp, Zeebrugge, Beirut, Jeddah, Port Kelang, Singapore, Tianjin.
    • Deployment: 11 x 11,400 teu CMA-CGM vessels.
  • Replaces FAL3 Service with a port rotation: Qingdao, Ningbo, Chiwan, Nansha, Yantian, Cai Mep, Port Kelang, Malta, Le Havre, Dunkirk, Zeebrugge, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Zeebrugge, Southampton, Beirut, Jeddah, Port Kelang, Chiwan, Xiamen, Qingdao.
    • Deployment: 11 x 9,500/11,400 teu CMA-CGM vessels. And then on the CMA-CGM FAL1 service, MSC will also purchase slots.
  • Condor/FAL1 Service port rotation: Ningbo, Shanghai, Nansha, Hong Kong, Chiwan, Yantian, Vung Tau, Southampton, Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Le Havre, Malta, Khorfakkan, Port Kelang, Singapore, Yantian, Ningbo.
    • Deployment: 11 x 14,000 teu CMA-CGM vessels
  • Replaces existing FAL1 with a port rotation: Dalian, Tianjin, Shanghai, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Yantian, Port Kelang, Malta, Southampton, Hamburg, Zeebrugge, Rotterdam, Le Havre, Malta, Khorfakkan, Yantian, Dalian.
    • Deployment: 10 x 11,000 teu CMA-CGM vessels.
  • Jade/FAL9 Service: Shanghai, Ningbo, Hong Kong, Chiwan, Yantian, Singapore, Port Kelang, Gioia Tauro, Malta, Tangiers, Port Kelang, Singapore, Vung Tau, Shanghai.
This service is designed specifically as a transhipment loop centering on the major Mediterranean hub ports with an emphasis on West Africa and South America. Deployment: 9 x 9,500 teu vessels provided by MSC and CMA-CGM. G-6 Alliance spins off nine new separate services