Federal Maritime Commission Clears Ocean Carrier Alliance
The Federal Maritime Commission has cleared the planned vessel alliance of Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Co., the two largest ocean carriers.
The ocean-shipping regulatory agency’s action is one step in the plan by No. 1 ocean carrier Maersk, a Danish company, and the Italian steamship line known as MSC to share space on their vessels to reduce costs on the world’s busiest freight routes linking Asia, Europe and North America.
MSC and Maersk formed their alliance, known as 2M, after a larger plan that also included third-largest ocean operator CMA-CGM of France was scuttled by Chinese regulators. Last month, CMA-CGM advanced a new alliance called Ocean Three with China Shipping Container Line and United Arab Shipping.
“The agreement is not likely at this time, by a reduction in competition, to produce an unreasonable increase in transportation cost or an unreasonable reduction in transportation service,” said the agency’s statement.
