French shipping line CMA CGM is likely to consider a new vessel-sharing agreement to operate its Asia-Europe service, with United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) and China Shipping Container Line (CSCL) potential suitors, according to British-based analyst Drewry Maritime Research.
CMA CGM had been sharing vessels with Maersk Line on the Asia-Mediteranian route since 2011. It had a similar agreement in place with Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) between Asia and northern Europe.
Theses arrangements came to an end after Maersk and MSC announced last week that they had entered a ten-year vessel sharing agreement on the Asia-Europe, Transatlantic and Transpacific trades. The move is expected to come into force early next year, with both companies severing their current alliances on the east-west trade route.
“The game of musical chairs of the mega-alliances means that CMA CGM will now have to seriously consider a closer east-west vessel-sharing agreement with someone else, with the most obvious candidates being UASC and CSCL,” according to Drewry.
Both UASC and CSCL have ordered 18,000-TEU mega-ships and have worked with CMA CGM in the past.
“They may be needed, as CMA CGM has 28 ships of 9,000 TEUs on order, some of which are more suitable for north-south trades,” Drewry reported.
Drewry claimed CMA CGM is likely to join the AMC1/AMX1 Asia-Med service operated together by UASC and CSCL, at the end of July, deploying an 8,189-TEU vessels. CMA CGM has not commented on its exclusion from the Maersk- MSC alliance.
