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OCEAN Alliance reveals details on planned services

COSCO, CMA CGM, Evergreen Line and Orient Overseas Container Line plan to deploy 350 containerships on 41 strings starting next April.

Left to Right: Andy Tung, CEO of OOCL; Wang Hai Min, managing director of China Cosco Shipping Lines; Rodolphe Saadé, vice chairman of CMA CGM; and Lawrence Lee, president of Evergreen
Source: CMA CGM

   The OCEAN Alliance, which includes the container carriers COSCO Container Lines, CMA CGM, Evergreen Line and Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), has released details on their proposed network, including the port rotation for 41 service loops.
   Beginning next April, they plan to deploy around 350 container vessels with an estimated total carrying capacity of 3.5 million TEUs.
   They said they would provide vessel deployment details for each service later this month.
   CMA CGM said it would market its services using both the CMA CGM and APL brand. The French carrier completed its acquisition of the parent company of APL, Neptune Orient Lines, earlier this year.
   As vessel sharing partners, the four carriers will still compete among themselves. CMA CGM, the largest carrier in the alliance and the third largest in the world after Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Company, highlighted its dominance by noting “the CMA CGM Group will have the largest share within the alliance, deploying a fleet of 119 vessels with a 35 percent capacity share. The Group will not only be offering more ports, direct calls and better transit times, but is also committed to providing unmatched shipping services and quality through best-in-class business operations and solutions.”
   The carriers said they would offer:

     • 20 transpacific services between an estimated 160 port pairs, 13 of which will be between Asia and the West Coast of North America, and seven of which will be between Asia and the East Coast of North America or U.S. ports on the Gulf of Mexico;
     • Six Asia – Europe services between an estimated 110 port pairs;
     • Five Asia – Mediterranean services between an estimated 165 port pairs;
     • Three transatlantic services between an estimated 70 port pairs;
     • Five Asia – Middle East services between an estimated 70 port pairs;
     • And two Asia – Red Sea services between an estimated 35 port pairs.

   “The top priority of the OCEAN Alliance is service quality and schedule reliability,” the four carriers said. “Customers will benefit from a competitive selection of sailing schedules and direct port pairs, fast transit times, and a highly efficient fleet of vessels to cater to the needs of today’s demanding and increasingly green global supply chains”.
   The four carriers said they have an alliance agreement with China’s Ministry of Transport, and the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission and South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) have okayed the OCEAN Alliance.
   In addition, the carriers said they have completed the self-assessment compliance review required by the European Union, and noted how they “are compliant with EU regulatory requirements.”
   “Moving forward, the OCEAN Alliance will continue to work closely with all the authorities to ensure full compliance with applicable laws and regulations and secure the necessary regulatory approvals for the OCEAN Alliance to commence operations from April 1, 2017.
   Several of the members of the alliance gave the following details on port rotations for the services. They marked ports to be confirmed with an asterisk, and noted the rotations were subject to confirmation and market conditions. In other cases, they used the term “SEA HUB” to indicate a feeder port that has not yet been named. Also note that in addition, some of the services such as the PSW3 and AWE3, as well as the PNW2 and AWE1, are linked.
   The detailed port rotations follow below.

Nine Pacific Southwest services:
     • PSW1: Fuqing-Nansha-Hong Kong-Yantian-Xiamen-Long Beach/Los Angeles-Oakland-Fuqing
     • PSW2: Tianjin-Qingdao-Shanghai-Prince Rupert-Long Beach/Los Angeles-Oakland-Tianjin
     • PSW3 (AWE3): Port Kelang-Singapore-Jakarta-Laem Chabang-Cai Mep-Long Beach/Los Angeles-Oakland-Hong Kong
     • PSW4: Lianyungang-Shanghai-Ningbo-Long Beach/Los Angeles-Seattle-Lianyungang
     • PSW5: Qingdao-Shanghai-Ningbo-Long Beach/Los Angeles-Oakland-Tokyo-Nagoya-Qingdao
     • PSW6: Kaohsiung-Cai Mep-Chiwan-Hong Kong-Yantian-Kaohsiung-Long Beach/Los Angeles-Kaohsiung
     • PSW7: Taipei-Xiamen-Shekou-Yantian-Long Beach/Los Angeles-Oakland-Taipei
     • PSW8: Yantian-Hong Kong-Kaohsiung-Taipei-Long Beach/Los Angeles-Oakland-Tacoma-Kaohsiung-Yantian
     • PSW9: Ningbo-Shanghai-Pusan-Long Beach/Los Angeles-Pusan-Ningbo

Four Pacific Northwest services:
     • PNW1: Yantian-Xiamen-Ningbo-Shanghai-Pusan-Seattle-Vancouver-Yokohama-Yantian
     • PNW2 (AWE1): Singapore-Cai Mep-Hong Kong-Yantian-Shanghai-Ningbo-Prince Rupert-Vancouver-Qingdao
     • PNW3: Hong Kong-Yantian-Kaohsiung-Shanghai-Ningbo-Tacoma-Vancouver-Tokyo-Osaka-Qingdao-Hong Kong
     • PNW4: Chiwan-Hong Kong-Yantian-Kaohsiung-Vancouver-Seattle-Pusan-Kaohsiung-Chiwan

Seven Asia – East Coast North America and U.S. Gulf services:
     • AWE1 (PNW2): Qingdao-Ningbo-Shanghai-Pusan-New York-Boston-Norfolk-Singapore
     • AWE2: Xiamen-Kaohsiung-Hong Kong-Yantian-Colon-New York-Baltimore-Norfolk-Xiamen
     • AWE3 (PSW3): Hong Kong-Cai Mep-Singapore-Port Kelang-Colombo-Halifax-New York-Norfolk-Savannah-Port Kelang
     • AWE4: Qingdao-Ningbo-Shanghai-Pusan-Colon-Savannah-Charleston-New York-Colon-Qingdao
     • AWE5: Hong Kong-Yantian-Ningbo-Shanghai-Colon-Norfolk-Savannah-Charleston-Hong Kong
     • AWE6: Hong Kong-Chiwan-Ningbo-Shanghai-Pusan-Houston-Mobile-Miami-Jacksonville-Singapore-Hong Kong
     • AWE7: Shanghai-Ningbo-Xiamen-Yantian-Houston-Mobile-Shanghai

Six Asia – Europe services:

     • NEU1: Shanghai-Ningbo-Xiamen-Yantian-SEA HUB-SUEZ Canal-Felixstowe-Rotterdam-Baltic Port(s)*-Felixstowe-Suez Canal-SEA HUB-Yantian-Shanghai
     • NEU2: Tianjin-Dalian-Qingdao-Shanghai-Ningbo-SEA HUB-SUEZ Canal-Rotterdam-Hamburg-Antwerp-SUEZ Canal-Shanghai-Tianjin
     • NEU3: Ningbo-Shanghai-Hong Kong-Nansha-Shekou-SEA HUB-SUEZ Canal-Piraeus-Antwerp-Felixstowe-Hamburg-Rotterdam-Southampton*-Piraeus-SUEZ Canal-SEA HUB-Hong Kong-Ningbo
     • NEU4: Tianjin-Pusan-Qingdao-Shanghai-Ningbo-Yantian-SEA HUB-SUEZ Canal-Tangier-Southampton
Dunkirk-Hamburg-Rotterdam-Zeebrugge-Le Havre-SUEZ Canal-Khor Fakkan-SEA HUB-Xiamen-Tianjin
     • NEU5: Shanghai-Ningbo-Yantian-Cai Mep-SEA HUB-SUEZ Canal-Le Havre-Rotterdam-Hamburg-Antwerp-Le Havre-Malta-SUEZ Canal-Jeddah-Nansha-Shanghai
     • NEU6: Kaohsiung-Ningbo-Shanghai-Taipei-Yantian-Colombo-SUEZ Canal-Rotterdam-Felixstowe-Hamburg-Rotterdam-SUEZ Canal-Colombo-Kaohsiung

Five Asia – Mediterranean services:
     • MED1: Qingdao-Shanghai-Ningbo-Kaohsiung-Hong Kong-Yantian-SEA HUB-SUEZ Canal-Piraeus-La Spezia-Genoa-Fos-Valencia-Piraeus-SUEZ Canal-Jeddah-Colombo-SEA HUB-Hong Kong-Qingdao
     • MED2: Qingdao-Pusan-Shanghai-Ningbo-Xiamen-Nansha-Yantian-SEA HUB-SUEZ Canal-Malta-Valencia-Barcelona-Fos-Genoa-Malta-Beirut-SUEZ Canal-Jebel Ali-SEA HUB-Xiamen-Qingdao
     • MED3: Pusan-Shanghai-Ningbo-Kaohsiung-Chiwan-SEA HUB-SUEZ Canal-Port Said-Beirut-Iskenderun-Istanbul Evyap (Izmit)-Istanbul Ambarli (Avcilar)-Constanza-Odessa-Istanbul Ambarli (Avcilar)-Piraeus-SUEZ Canal-SEA HUB-Pusan
     • MED4: Qingdao-Shanghai-Ningbo-Taipei-Yantian-Shekou-SEA HUB-SUEZ Canal-Ashdod-Haifa-Alexandria-Piraeus-SUEZ Canal-Jeddah-SEA HUB-Shekou-Kaohsiung-Qingdao
     • MED5: Shanghai-Ningbo-Pusan-Chiwan-SEA HUB-SUEZ Canal-Malta-Rijeka-Koper-Trieste-Venice-Koper-Malta-Damietta-SUEZ Canal-Jeddah-SEA HUB-Chiwan-Shanghai

Three Transatlantic services:
     • TAT1: Malta-Livorno-Genoa-Fos-Barcelona-Valencia-Lisbon-New York-Norfolk-Savannah-Miami-Algeciras-Valencia*-Malta
     • TAT2: Southampton-Antwerp-Rotterdam-Bremerhaven-Le Havre-New York-Norfolk-Savannah-Charleston-Southampton
     • TAT3: Le Havre-Antwerp-Rotterdam-Bremerhaven-Charleston-Savannah-Miami-Veracruz-Altamira-Houston-New Orleans-Miami-Le Havre

Five Asia – Middle East services:
     • MEA1: Tianjin-Dalian-Pusan-Shanghai-Ningbo-Chiwan-Singapore-Khor Al Fakkan-Jebel Ali-Bandar Abbas-Sohar-Port Kelang-Singapore-Shekou-Tianjin
     • MEA2: Qingdao-Shanghai-Ningbo-Chiwan-Singapore-Jebel Ali-Dammam-Jubail-Abu Dhabi-Singapore-Qingdao
     • MEA3: Lianyungang-Qingdao-Ningbo-Hong Kong-Shekou-Singapore-Jebel Ali-Bahrain-Dammam-Jubail-Port Kelang-Lianyungang
     • MEA4: Shanghai-Ningbo-Taipei-Shekou-Tanjung Pelepas-Colombo-Jebel Ali-Bandar Abbas-Port Kelang-Laem Chabang*-Hong Kong-Shanghai
     • MEA5: Shanghai-Ningbo-Nansha-Singapore-Jebel Ali-Abu Dhabi-Dammam-Singapore-Nansha-Shanghai

Two Asia – Red Sea services:
     • RES1: Shanghai-Ningbo-Taipei-Xiamen-Shekou-SEA HUB-Jeddah-Sokhna-Aqaba-Jeddah-SEA HUB-Shanghai
     • RES2: Shanghai-Ningbo-Chiwan-SEA HUB-Djibouti-Jeddah-Aqaba-Port Sudan-Djibouti-SEA HUB-Shanghai

Chris Dupin

Chris Dupin has written about trade and transportation and other business subjects for a variety of publications before joining American Shipper and Freightwaves.