EU Consortia Block Exemption Expiry

The expiry ended a special legal shelter for carrier cooperation in Europe, adding pressure on how ocean alliances share ships. Since the 1990s, the Consortia Block Exemption Regulation had let carriers with limited market share cooperate on vessel sharing without individual competition review. In October 2023, the European Commission decided the rule was no longer fit for purpose and let it lapse on April 25, 2024; the UK took a similar decision. Consortia remain legal but must now assess themselves under general competition rules. For shippers, the change was mainly about oversight, but it formed part of the backdrop to the 2025 alliance reshuffle.

• Contract RateFreight price locked in for a set term
• Full Container LoadFCLOne shipper's goods in a whole container

• Ocean Carrier Alliance Realignment2017 · Three alliances come to dominate east-west trades
• MSC Overtakes Maersk2022 · MSC becomes the largest container line by capacity
• Gemini Cooperation2025 · Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd launch a hub-and-spoke network

• EU Repeal of the Liner Conference Block Exemption2006, effective 2008 · Ended EU antitrust immunity for liner conferences

1. Block exemption for liner shipping consortia expires and will not be renewed (Hill Dickinson) hilldickinson.com
2. European Commission decides not to extend the liner consortia block exemption regulation (HFW) hfw.com
3. CMA will not recommend renewal of shipping competition exemption (GOV.UK) gov.uk