One of the major changes in container shipping alliances ever announced is planned for an operational start up in March 2012. By Paul Richardson, AJOTThe world’s second and third largest shipping lines, Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) and CMA-CGM will combine services on the Asia/North Europe, Asia/South Africa and all South America trades through a series of vessel and slot sharing agreements with greater far reaching potential. In addition to that, CSAV will be involved in some of the new service set ups with the two lines. The new MSC/CMA-CGM operational partnership has come following CMA-CGM’s announcement of third quarter and year-to-date operational and financial results. Volumes in Q3/2011 were up 10% on Q3/2010 to just over 2.6 million teu, while for the first nine months of 2011, volumes were up 9.4% on the same period last year, to total 7.42 million teu. Revenue was up 2.8% in Q3/2011 on Q3/2010 to reach US$3.86 billion, while the first nine months 2011 revenue was up 5.2% to US$11.09 billion based on the same period last year, but as confirmed back in September, CMA-CGM wants to cut full year costs by US$400 million, and the full impact of that will happen in 2012 through the new operational partnership. Interestingly, the new MSC/CMA-CGM partnership has some intriguing concoctions and permutations buried within, that particularly focus on the Asia/North Europe trade. Service ChangesThe new Asia/North Europe service rotation will look like this: Silk/FAL6 service: Dalian, Tianjin, Kwangyang, Pusan, Qingdao, Ningbo, Shanghai, Singapore, Port Kelang, Felixstowe, Zeebrugge, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Southampton, Valencia, Jebel Ali, Singapore, Hong Kong, Dalian. Deployment includes: 11 x 14,000 teu MSC vessels. This replaces existing MSC Silk Service: Ningbo, Shanghai, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Chiwan, Yantian, Singapore, Antwerp, Felixstowe, Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Valencia, Jebel Ali, Ningbo. The deployment for the existing service is: 11 x 6,000/13,000 teu MSC vessels. The new Lion/FAL7 Service rotation will be: Ningbo, Shanghai, Xiamen, Chiwan, Yantian, Sines, Le Havre, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Felixstowe, Gioia Tauro, Singapore, Chiwan, Xiamen, Ningbo. The vessel deployment: 11 x 14,000 teu MSC vessels This will replace the existing MSC Lion Service of: Qingdao, Pusan, Ningbo, Shanghai, Nansha, Hong Kong, Chiwan, Yantian, Sines, Le Havre, Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Antwerp, Felixstowe, Gioia Tauro, Singapore, Chiwan, Hong Kong, Qingdao. The current vessel deployment is: 11 x 9,000/14,000 teu MSC vessels. The new Swan/FAL3 service: Tianjin, Pusan, Qingdao, Shanghai, Xiamen, Singapore, Port Kelang, Tangiers, Le Havre, Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Antwerp, Zeebrugge, Beirut, Jeddah, Port Kelang, Singapore, Tianjin. The deployment will be: 11 x 11,400 teu CMA-CGM vessels. This service replaces existing CMA-CGM FAL3 service: 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. The deployment for this service is: 11 x 9,500/11,400 teu CMA-CGM vessels. The new Condor/FAL1 service rotation will be: Ningbo, Shanghai, Nansha, Hong Kong, Chiwan, Yantian, Vung Tau, Southampton, Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Le Havre, Malta, Khorfakkan, Port Kelang, Singapore, Yantian, Ningbo. The deployment for the new service: 11 x 14,000 teu CMA-CGM vessels. This replaces existing CMA-CGM FAL1 service: Dalian, Tianjin, Shanghai, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Yantian, Port Kelang, Malta, Southampton, Hamburg, Zeebrugge, Rotterdam, Le Havre, Malta, Khorfakkan, Yantian, Dalian. The deployment for the rotation is: 10 x 11,000 teu CMA-CGM vessels. The new Jade/FAL9 service will be: Shanghai, Ningbo, Hong Kong, Chiwan, Yantian, Singapore, Port Kelang, Gioia Tauro, Malta, Tangiers, Port Kelang, Singapore, Vung Tau, Shanghai. The deployment for the new service will include: 9 x 9,500 teu vess