Bruce Barnard, Special Correspondent | Dec 28, 2011 9:04AM EST
Evergreen Line is joining forces with the CKYH Alliance of Cosco, K-Line, Yang Ming and Hanjin Shipping on the Asia-Europe route in the latest partnership aimed at countering Maersk Line’s bid to dominate the world’s largest ocean container market.
The five Asian carriers will operate 12 weekly services between Asia, the Mediterranean and North Europe, with ships of 8,000 to 13,000 20-foot equivalent units capacity starting in the second quarter of 2012.
“All parties intend to enhance highest frequency of service loops, expedition of delivery terms and full scale of port coverage in their services and agreed to strengthen co-operation among one another in Asia-Europe and Asia-Mediterranean trade lanes,“ the carriers said.
Taiwan’s Evergreen will not, however, become a member of the CKYH group, also known as the Green Alliance.
“Although Evergreen will not be joining CKYH, the carriers will co-ordinate with each other to provide more intensive sailings to the level of eight service loops from Asian ports to northern European base ports, and four service loops from Asian ports to Mediterranean ports every week,” the carriers said.
The pact between the Asian carriers comes less than a week after the six members of the New World and Grand Alliances unveiled a vessel-sharing agreement involving 90 ships serving 40 ports on the Asia-Europe trades.
This newly formed G6 Alliance followed a the announcement in early December of a co-operation agreement between Mediterranean Shipping Co and CMA CGM, the world’s second and third largest carriers, on the Asia-Europe, Asia-Southern Africa and Latin American trades.
The wave of new alliances began after Maersk Line’s launch of a seven-days-a-week service between key Asian and north European ports in late October, part of the Danish carrier’s bid to create a solid cargo base for 20 18,000 TEUs ships it will deploy in 2014/15.
Contact Bruce Barnard at brucebarnard47@hotmail.com.