The largest global shipping alliance in the world by percentage – the 2M Alliance consisting of partners Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) are adding more muscle to their alliance with the announcement of a new strategic cooperation with ZIM Lines..
Maersk, MSC and ZIM already have cooperation agreements which started in September 2018 on five services between Asia and the US East Coast with four loops operated by Maersk and MSC (2M) and one loop operated by ZIM with the lines swapping slots on all the loops..
This new cooperation agreement which is expected to come online from March 2019 (subject to regulatory approvals) will see the parties covering three of 2M’s services and one service jointly operated by ZIM and 2M..
This new strategic operational agreement will cover the Asia – Mediterranean and the Asia – Pacific Northwest trades and will operate as a combination of Vessel Sharing Agreement, Slot exchange and purchase and will also cover two additional trades: Asia – East Mediterranean and Asia – American Pacific Northwest..
As per a ZIM Line press release, in each trade, two strings will be operated in cooperation, as follows:
Asia – East Mediterranean:
Sirius Line (ZAS)
Xingang – Dalian – Pusan – Shanghai – Ningbo – Shekou – Singapore – Port Said East – Haifa – Port-Said East – Singapore – Xingang
Spica Line (ZMS)
Pusan – Shanghai – Ningbo – Shekou – Singapore – Port Said East – Yarimca – Istanbul – Asyaport – Piraeus – Singapore – Shekou – Pusan
Asia – Pacific Northwest:
ZIM Pacific Pollux (ZP9)
Kaohsiung – Xiamen – Yantian – Ningbo – Shanghai – Busan – Vancouver – Seattle – Yokohama – Busan – Kaohsiung
ZIM Pacific Procyon (ZP8)
Xingang – Qingdao – Shanghai – Busan – Yokohama – Prince Rupert – Xingang
ZIM President & CEO Eli Glickman said
“We are very proud to team up with the two largest players in the industry and to expand our cooperation with the 2M Alliance.
The new strategic Agreement means faster and more efficient service with better geographic coverage and extended direct port calls for the benefit of our customers, in line with our vision to provide best-in-class service.
We will significantly increase our ability to provide the ‘best of both worlds’: top-level line coverage combined with our exceptional customer service and personal touch.
The agreement is a game-changer, and I am confident it will support ZIM’s growth and profitability.”
Søren Toft, COO of AP Moller – Maersk said
“Having successfully implemented our strategic cooperation, we are very pleased to expand the partnership with ZIM into additional geographies.
This agreement delivers mutual benefits to both parties, for Maersk it provides operational efficiencies that will enable our continued drive to deliver competitive and reliable products for our customers in the world’s most comprehensive East-West network.”
