China’s two biggest container lines are to work more closely together as an extensive shake-up of the Asia-Europe trades continues.
Cosco Container Line and China Shipping have unveiled plans to expand their space-swap arrangements next year. The agreement covers both the North Europe and Mediterranean trades.
The announcement comes amid speculation that China Shipping is in talks with the CKYH alliance, which includes Cosco, about a partnership arrangement.
The new space-swap agreement between Cosco and China Shipping covers three services operated by each line, but it is unclear whether this deal involves all the CKYH members.
China Shipping is thought to be in talks with partner Evergreen and members of the CKYH consortium about a six-strong co-operative arrangement covering the Asia-Europe trades that would offer a powerful alternative to the new alliances now being formed by other global carriers.
Talks are understood to be under way between the various parties, although no final conclusions have yet been reached.
But should China Shipping decide to work with the CKYH group of Coscon, K Line, Yang Ming and Hanjin Shipping, it would be able to contribute some of the biggest containerships in the world. The line now has a number of 14,100teu vessels in service, and will have a total of eight in its fleet when all the newbuildings on order are delivered.
The announcement follows news earlier this week that Evergreen is planning to co-operate with the CKYH consortium without actually becoming a full member, while maintaining its links with China Shipping.
At present, the two lines co-operate on three Asia-Europe services. These include a jointly-operated service between Shanghai, Ningbo, Yantian, Felixstowe, Hamburg and Rotterdam that deploys five 9,000teu ships and four 8,000teu vessels, plus another in which Evergreen contributes a 10,000teu chartered vessel and China Shipping six 12,000teu ships. CMA CGM and United Arab Shipping Co also each providing a 12,000teu.
The French line said when announcing a partnership with MSC a month ago that most of its other co-operative agreements would be maintained.
In a third Asia-Europe service operated by Evergreen, China Shipping takes slots. This loop consists of 6,000teu and 7,000teu ships.
And the news that Evergreen was linking up with the CKYH alliance followed the announcement last week that the Grand Alliance and New World Alliance were to join forces in the Asia-Europe trades.
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