G6 Alliance expects to remain intact in 2016

Despite the proposed plan to bring current G6 member APL into the Ocean3 Alliance after its acquisition by CMA CGM, officials with the G6 say the ocean carrier alliance will remain unchanged while regulators review the deal.    The six container carrier members of the G6 Alliance – APL, Hapag-Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine, MOL, NYK and OOCL – said Friday that the alliance will continue to operate jointly during 2016.
   The G6 members noted that on Monday, Dec. 7 Neptune Orient Lines, the parent company of APL, announced plans to be acquired by CMA CGM.
   During the press conference announcing the deal, Rodolphe Saadé, vice-chairman of CMA CGM, said his company intends to make APL part of the Ocean3 Alliance it operates with China Shipping Container Line and United Arab Shipping Company on the major east-west trade routes.
   But the G6 members noted on Friday, “The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals. Until there is further development, the G6 Alliance assures that its current service structure will remain stable, and expects to operate as aligned through 2016.”
   There is still a lack of clarity about the future of Ocean3 and the CKYHE alliances because of a planned merger of China Shipping and COSCO. It’s not clear if those companies will join the Ocean3, the CKYHE alliance of COSCO, “K” Line, Yang Ming, Hanjin and Evergreen, or make some other arrangement.
    Chinese news service People’s Daily said Friday that the China Shipping-COSCO merger has been approved by China’s State Council.