Ocean Carrier Alliance Realignment

The 2017 realignment concentrated most east-west container capacity in three alliances, and it explains why shippers often find the same vessel behind bookings with different carriers. Maersk and MSC continued as 2M, while CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, and OOCL launched Ocean Alliance, and Hapag-Lloyd, Yang Ming, and Japan's three major lines formed THE Alliance after Hanjin's collapse removed it from the plan. Alliance members share ships and slots but still sell and price independently. For importers, this means carrier choice affects contract terms and service, while schedule reliability depends on the whole alliance network.

• Contract RateFreight price locked in for a set term
• Full Container LoadFCLOne shipper's goods in a whole container
• Twenty-Foot Equivalent UnitTEUContainer capacity unit of one 20-foot box

• Chang Yung-fa1927–2016 · Founder of Evergreen Marine
• Jacques Saadé1937–2018 · Founder of CMA CGM

• Hanjin Shipping Bankruptcy2016 · Korea's largest container line fails, stranding cargo
• COSCO-China Shipping Merger2016 · China's two biggest shipping groups combine
• Maersk Triple E Class2013 · Maersk takes delivery of 18,000 TEU ships

• Shipping Act of 19161916 · Created the US Shipping Board and regulated carriers
• EU Repeal of the Liner Conference Block Exemption2006, effective 2008 · Ended EU antitrust immunity for liner conferences

1. Six carriers join hands to form THE Alliance (Seatrade Maritime) seatrade-maritime.com
2. Alliance schedule reliability 2017 to 2024 (Sea-Intelligence) sea-intelligence.com