According to Alphaliner's latest analysis, Singapore Port, the world's largest transit hub, has become one of the clear winners in the upcoming alliance restructuring.
A new shipping alliance pattern will be formed in February 2025. The Ocean Alliance, THE Alliance, and 2M Alliance will be reorganized into Gemini Partnership, Premier Alliance, independently operated MSC, and the unchanged Ocean Alliance, respectively. After the reorganization, these shipping alliances will begin operating a brand new service network. According to the analysis of the new port rotation plan, Singapore Port will receive an additional 6 docking opportunities from operators of the Asia Nordic route.
In Southeast Asia, Malaysia's transit hub Tanjung Pelepas Port will lose two stops on the Asia Nordic route.
Among the major Asian gateway ports, Vietnam's Gaimei Port will increase the number of calls by 2, Yantian Port will decrease by 3, Ningbo Port will decrease by 1, while the number of calls at Shanghai Port will remain unchanged.
In Northern Europe, Antwerp Port in Belgium (the regional hub of MSC) is the main victim of this alliance restructuring. With the Gemini partnership withdrawing from the port and concentrating hub based transshipment operations in Rotterdam and Wilhelmshaven, Antwerp will lose four Asian Nordic route stops.
Overall, the number of calls on the Asia Nordic route in Rotterdam remains unchanged, with Hamburg Port increasing by 1 call, Bremen Port decreasing by 1 call, and Le Havre Port in France increasing by 1 call.
In the UK, there is also a "competition" between Felixstowe and the London Gateway Port, with the former receiving 2 calls and the latter losing 2. At the same time, the Premier League's number of calls in Southampton will remain unchanged.
The Alphaliner report states: 'Felixstowe will attract more business, while the volume of business at the London gateway port will decrease. Premier League will continue to maintain THE League's twice weekly presence in Southampton and will no longer use the London gateway port.'. "
Analysts have pointed out that for shippers and freight forwarders, in terms of choice, this restructuring adjustment will bring net benefits.
The report also mentioned that the current 5 2M loops, 2 MSC independent route services, and 4 loops of THE Alliance (a total of 11 route services) will be replaced by 4 loops each from Gemini Partnership, MSC, and Premier Alliance, for a total of 12 loops. The seven circular routes currently operated by members of the Ocean Alliance, including Dafei, COSCO, EVA, and Orient Overseas, are expected to remain unchanged. "
The total number of port calls provided by the Gemini partnership, MSC, and Premier alliance for these 12 routes will be reduced to 132, while the current total number of calls provided by 2M and THE alliance is 148. Compared to the current direct affiliation frequency of Maersk and Hapag Lloyd, the Gemini network's direct affiliation frequency will be significantly reduced.
Alphaliner stated, "Gemini's four loops will have a total of 28 port calls, with an average of only 7 calls per loop. MSC's four independent loops will cover no less than 55 ports (14 per loop), almost twice as many as Gemini's“
This also demonstrates the different strategies of shipping companies, with Maersk and Hapag Lloyd aiming for a booking rate of over 90%, while MSC tends to provide customers with a large number of direct services to smaller destinations“
Source: SouHang Network
