Lines file with FMC to index transpacific data

Lines file with FMC to index transpacific data    A group of five ocean carriers have filed an application with the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission to bring a liner carrier information gathering and dissemination organization to the U.S. container trades.
   Maersk Line, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, Hamburg Sud, and United Arab Shipping Co. were the original signatories to a U.K.-registered company called World Liner Data, which has sprung forth from the now-defunct European Liner Affairs Association.
   Where the primary purpose of the ELAA was to lobby on behalf of the liner carrier industry in Europe, the new company is applying to the FMC to 'gather, compile, aggregate, exchange and disseminate demand and supply forecasts, a volume database and a price index relating to trades worldwide,' according to an Oct. 27 Federal Register notice.
   Seven additional lines — OOCL, Hyundai Merchant Marine, Turkon, the Shipping Corp. of India, ANL, Independent Container Line, Mediterranean Shipping Co., and CCNI — have also signed on to invest in World Liner Data, according to Rod Riseborough, chief executive officer of Container Trades Statistics, the first organization to emerge from the liquidation of the ELAA this year.
   'At present we have 12 signatories and are in discussion with most lines to become members,' said Riseborough, former CEO of the Far Eastern Freight Conference, which was disbanded in 2008 when the European Commission banned liner conferences in trades to and from Europe.
   'The ELAA's database has been hived off to WLD (World Liner Data), which owns the database, the aggregated data and the intellectual property rights,' Riseborough told American Shipper Wednesday. 'CTS has been sold to the staff, and is now an independent company, which has a contract with WLD (under Article 5.4 of the FMC agreement) to manage the database, sales of data, and to act as managing agents for WLD.'
   Riseborough said the primary reason for the somewhat complex arrangement is legal.
   'Under EU legislation we were advised that as CTS was owned by ELAA, and ultimately the lines, CTS staff were not able to look at lines' individual data until it was historical — a three-, six- or 12-month delay, depending on which trade we were looking at,' he said. 'As an independent entity we are now able to look at lines' volume and price input, and to check lines' input data directly to ensure it makes sense. Previously this was done by our IT provider who lacked any knowledge of shipping.
   'This allows us to produce the data more quickly — as an example, the data from the European trades was produced by midday on Nov. 2, less than 24 hours after the deadline for input.'
   The Oct. 27 Federal Register notice seems to add to the confusion in that it says 'the agreement will replace the Container Trade Statistics Agreement, which will be terminated.' Riseborough said that actually refers to the termination of the now-liquidated ELAA, for which CTS took up the immediate mantle.
   The application with the FMC is significant in that signals CTS's intention to examine and index trades beyond those connected to Europe. Riseborough told Lloyd's List in September that CTS would begin publishing data from transpacific trades in the new year, pending FMC approval.
   'The data will be provided by the members of WLD, and will be made available to those members,' Riseborough said. 'We will collect whatever data is available on non-members and produce estimated total trade volumes for WLD members.'
   It's also been reported that some lines might join the WLD as 'non-members' receiving more limited data but also divulging less data.
   CMA CGM confirmed to American Shipper that World Liner Data is being established to manage the data collected by Container Trades Statistics.
   'World Liner Data will not replace CTS,' a CMA CGM spokesman said. 'WLD is the association set up by the lines to manage the exchange of data with CTS and to define future developments. CTS will manage a volume database and price index, but is not working on supply forecast. It is the intention of CTS to become global. Today, CTS is working on volumes to and from Europe. Tomorrow, CTS will work on all trade lanes, always in line with local competition regulations.' ' Eric Johnson