Six international container shipping lines have agreed to create one of the largest vessel networks in the Far East-Europe trade lane.
The comprehensive agreement will bring together members of The New World and Grand alliances to create The G6 Alliance.
New World Alliance members are APL, Hyundai Merchant Marine, and Mitsui O.S.K Lines.
Grand Alliance members are Hapag-Lloyd AG, Nippon Yusen Kaisha, and Orient Overseas Container Line.
The new partnership is seen by industry watchers as the carriers’ response to the launch of the Daily Maersk by Maersk Line and the linkup between CMA CGM and MSC.
An official statement from the G6 Alliance members released December 20, 2011 said the alliance will create one of the leading networks in the Far East-Europe and Far East-Mediterranean container shipping markets, with more than 90 ships in nine services calling at more than 40 ports in Asia, Europe, and the Mediterranean.
“This is a milestone agreement that significantly improves service coverage in the Asia-Europe market. We will offer sailing frequencies and direct coverage that compete with anyone in the market,” the statement said.
The new alliance is scheduled to begin operation by April 2012 with seven joint services operating between Asia and Europe and two services to the Mediterranean. It includes a direct Far East-Baltic service with calls at Gdansk, Poland and Gothenburg, Sweden as well as transshipment in Singapore.
Member carriers said the new alliance will be characterized by fast transit times, broad port coverage and the latest vessels, with capacities of up to 14,000 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
“The new alliance will enable the most efficient integration of the largest ship sizes that will be introduced over the next 30 months,” the statement said.
The nine joint services will offer more frequent departures with daily sailings from the major Asian, European and Mediterranean ports. The schedule will include multiple weekly calls at Singapore, South China, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Southampton.
The ports of call also include Le Havre, Antwerp, Bremerhaven, Thamesport, the Bohai Bay ports of Dalian and Xingang, Ningbo, Qingdao, Xiamen, Kaohsiung, Cai Mep, Japanese ports, Colombo, Jeddah, and Port Said.
“The extensive port coverage, frequent sailings and very attractive transit times make the nine services a unique product with the best and most comprehensive set of connections on offer for all shippers in the Far East-Europe/Mediterranean trade,” the new alliance said.
The base-plan port rotation of the nine loops is as follows. Plans are subject to change based on changing market conditions, the alliance said.
Loop 1
Japan, Hong Kong, Cai Mep, Singapore, Jeddah, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Southampton, Le Havre, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan
Loop 2
Dalian, Xingang, Pusan, Qingdao, Singapore, Hamburg, Antwerp, Southampton, Salalah, Jebel Ali, Singapore, Pusan, Dalian
Loop 3
Shanghai, Ningbo, South China, Singapore, Tangier, Rotterdam, Bremerhaven, Gdansk, Gothenburg, Rotterdam, Jeddah, Singapore, South China, Hong Kong, Shanghai
Loop 4
Shanghai, Ningbo, South China, Singapore, Southampton, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Singapore, South China, Shanghai
Loop 5
Kwangyang, Pusan, Shanghai, South China, Singapore, Le Havre, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Thamesport, Singapore, Kwangyang
Loop 6
Kaohsiung, Xiamen, South China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Colombo, Southampton, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Singapore, South China, Kaohsiung
Loop 7
Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Hong Kong, South China, Singapore, Salalah, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Southampton, Tangier, Port Said, Singapore, South China, Qingdao
Loop 8
Pusan, Shanghai ,Ningbo, South China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Port Klang, Jeddah, Damietta, Genoa, FOS Sur Mer, Barcelona, Valencia, Damietta, Jeddah, Singapore, Hong Kong
Loop 9
(Asia/Black Sea) To be determined
