2M Alliance partners, Maersk and MSC, are seemingly already preparing for their upcoming split, which was originally planned for 2025.
The 2M partners seem to be increasingly moving away from services that are run with a combined fleet of vessels, with three transatlantic loops becoming the latest to be split into services operated individually by the partners recently.
The carriers have previously uncoupled fleets that were deployed on the busy Asia-Europe route, which has led to speculation that the 2M Alliance may be dissolved earlier than the original 2025 target.
Both of the world’s two largest carriers have been clear about their intentions to operate within their own networks when 2M disbands. Their recent moves will certainly make the dissolution of the alliance smoother regardless of their intentions.
Another consideration that may accelerate the split is the European Commission’s recent announcement that they will not be renewing the Consortia Block Exemption Regulation (CBER), which expires in April 2024.
CBER is the EU regulation that has allowed carriers to operate within alliances since 2009, and there is currently much uncertainty over how the current alliance formats will be affected when this expires.
As ever, Westbound are monitoring developments closely.
If you have any questions regarding the above, then Westbound are here to help. So, please do not hesitate to contact us.
