Will 2M Alliance Withdraw from the Historical Stage?

On January 25th, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Maersk jointly announced that they agreed to terminate the operation of 2M Alliance from January 2025.

Vincent Clerc, CEO of AP Moller-Maersk, and Soren Toft, CEO of MSC, said in a joint statement: "MSC and Maersk recognize that great changes have taken place in the two companies since signing the 10-year alliance agreement in 2015, and the termination of 2M alliance operation will pave the way for the two companies to continue to pursue their respective strategic development. We thank the partnership we have established and look forward to continuing strong cooperation in the rest of the agreement in the future. In the meantime, we remain committed to providing 2M alliance services to MSC and Maersk customers."

The announcement has no direct impact on the current 2M Alliance airline service.The customer service teams of the two companies will maintain communication with their respective customers and provide them with assistance during this period and during the gradual withdrawal of 2M Alliance.

It is understood that 2M is a ship sharing agreement between Container shipping companies.In 2015, Maersk signed an agreement with Mediterranean Shipping to ensure that shipping on Asia-Europe, transatlantic and trans-Pacific routes is competitive and cost-effective.Surgery.The term of 2M alliance agreement is 10 years, and if it is terminated, it needs 2 years' notice in advance.

When 2M Alliance was founded in 2015, MSC was the smaller of the two companies.That changed in 2022, when MSC overtook Maersk to becomeThe world's largest Container shipping company.

According to industry sources, the background of terminating cooperation is the large-scale expansion of Mediterranean shipping fleet in recent two years.According to Alphaliner, MSC added 411,000 TEUs (+10.7%) in 2021 and another 321,500 last year.TEUs (+7.5%).

In addition, Mediterranean Shipping has launched a large-scale new shipbuilding plan.The increase in capacity has been described as a strategic move by Mediterranean shipping to break away from the 2M alliance and operate as an independent carrier.By the end of 2024, the total capacity of MSC is expected to be equal to the total capacity when the two companies formed the alliance in 2015.

Lars Jensen, head of shipping consultancy Vespucci Maritime, said it was only the beginning of a reshaping of the main trade alliance between East and West, the first of many "dominoes" in the coming years."Maersk and MSC knocked down the first domino." "This will change the major east-west routesCarrierCarriers will pay close attention to the threats and opportunities brought by the competition pattern. "

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