Archives



Business, Freight News, Logistics, Sea


A new force on the Far East/Europe trade

[ December 22, 2011   //   ]

Hard on the heels of the CMA-MSC alliance announced earlier in December, two of the world’s biggest container groupings have announced an alliance for the Europe/Far East trade. The Grand Alliance and the New World Alliance, which together account for six of the world’s major carriers have agreed to create one of the largest vessel networks in the Far East-to-Europe trade lane with more than 90 ships, covering over 40 ports in Asia, Europe and Mediterranean.
The G6 Alliance brings together the New World Alliance members, APL, Hyundai Merchant Marine, and Mitsui O.S.K Lines while Grand Alliance members are Hapag-Lloyd, Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) and Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL).
The G6 Alliance is scheduled to begin operation by April 2012 with seven joint services operating between Asia and Europe and two to the Mediterranean, along with a direct Far East-Baltic service.
A total of nine service loops will be offered, five of which will serve Southampton and one Thamesport. Routes include a non-stop service from Southampton to Salalah, Jebel Ali, Singapore, Pusan and Dalian (Loop 2), direct from Shanghai, Ningbo, South China and Singapore to Southampton (Loop 4), direct from Kaohsiung, Xiamen, South China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Colombo to Southampton (Loop 6) and direct from Southampton to Tangier, Port Said, Singapore, South China and Qingdao (Loop 7). The Thamesport service (Loop 5) covers Kwangyang, Pusan, Shanghai, South China and Singapore.
In a statement the lines said: “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 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 grouping would compete direct with Maersk’s new ‘Daily service from the Far East to Europe.