G6 News

The IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) - 80th session will meet at IMO Headquarters in London from July 3-7, and amongst key agenda items, the MEPC 80 session is expected to adopt an upgraded IMO greenhouse gas strategy.The revised IMO GHG Strategy will contain concrete greenhouse gas reduction targets for the sector and is expected to outline a range of technical and economic measures. Negotiations have been ongoing and will continue during the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 15)…

Incat Crowther announced the delivery of Shadow Cat HODOR, significant in that it is the first in the Shadow Cat range which for Incat Crowther.Design and naval architecture was by Incat Crowther, project management and technical consultation by Robert Smith of YCTS and construction by Astilleros Armón at their Burela shipyard in Spain.HODOR was customized to carry the specific equipment and supplies to support and enhance the owner’s mothership capabilities, and the design uses engineering of hulls proven in offshore platform service…

Japan’s big three shippers -Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line) -  have reported profits for the first quarter, bouncing back from losses a year earlier Reuters reported. Thanks to rising freight rates, the shippers showed brightened financials ahead of their integration into the Ocean Network Express (ONE) next April. The results are also raising hopes the firms could be emerging from the industry’s worst-ever downturn on record. NYK recorded a profit attributable to owners of the parent of 5.4 billion yen (U.S. $48.9 million) for the quarter, compared to a loss of 12.79 billion yen for the corresponding quarter a year prior.

The upcoming reorganization of global shipping alliances is likely to hit Korea’s largest port in Busan and  the harbor volume of Busan Port is expected to drop by 3.5 percent from next year, the Korea Herald reported quoting Korea Maritime Institute (KMI)’s report. KMI  announced on December 22 that as a result of the analysis of the port rotation adjustment plans formulated by the soon-to-be-established shipping alliances "Ocean" and "THE Alliance," the number of shipping services using the port of Busan is likely to decline by three compared to the current figures. Busan Port managed containers of more than 10 million twenty-foot equivalent units last year. Of those, the Asia-North America route accounted for 36.7 percent while the Asia-Europe shipping line made up 6.7 percent.

The withdrawal of Hanjin tonnage has not been enough to rectify the trade’s supply-demand imbalance and headhaul ship utilisation is lower compared to other major East-West markets. Westbound volumes rose by 1.8% in the third quarter and the growth rate for the year to date is now registering 2.9% (see Figure 1). Asian exports shipped to the West Mediterranean (including North Africa) grew by 2.8% between July and September, while traffic to the eastern sector of the trade only expanded by 0.8%. By the end of September, the 12-month rolling average growth factor for westbound flows was touching 3.4% (see Figure 2) which is a distinct improvement on the minus 1.9% recorded a year earlier, and represents the highest point it has reached since March 2015.

As the leader of customer-focused terminal operations in North America, GCT USA has welcomed the Hyundai Saturn to GCT Bayonne. The Saturn is the first of five Hyundai ships in the G6's New York Express (NYX) service calling the port of New York and New Jersey through the expanded Panama Canal. The Saturn and its sisters are the first Hyundai neo-Panamax class vessels deployed on the Transpacific-US East Coast trade lane, all boasting a cellular capacity of 10,077 TEUs. Serving New York as the first North American port-of-call, the enhanced NYX service connects the largest East Coast market to the carrier's wider network in Latin America and Central/Northeast Asia.

Two services will be merged into one until further notice / Reason is change in market demand / All other services remain unchanged. Members of the G6 Alliance today announced a change within their Asia - North America West Coast products in response to changes in market demand. All other services of the G6 Alliance covering Asia to North America West Coast will remain unchanged. The G6 Alliance continues to offer a variety of services between Asia and the North America West Coast covering all major port pairs with weekly sailings, and to make further service adjustments where necessary. The G6 Alliance members are: APL, Hapag-Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Orient Overseas Container Line.

Container freight rates are forecast to rise modestly over the next 18 months from the all-time lows reached recently, but this will not be sufficient to rescue the industry from substantial losses in 2016, according to the latest Container Forecaster report published by global shipping consultancy Drewry. Liner shipping has had a torrid time so far in 2016 with spot freight rate volatility reaching unprecedented levels, while unit industry income has fallen to record lows. There are distinct parallels between what is happening now and the depths of the 2008/09 global financial crisis.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. today announced that the MOL Benefactor, a 10,000-TEU containership has successfully passed through the expanded Panama Canal on July 1, 2016. This is significant in that the MOL Benefactor is the first Neo-Panamax containership to perform a commercial transit through the Canal’s new expanded locks. MOL Benefactor, newly built and delivered to MOL in March of 2016 is also the first Neo-Panamax vessel deployed on the G6 Alliance’s new NYX service. The NYX provides a direct link between Qingdao, Ningbo, Shanghai, Busan with New York, Norfolk and Savannah on the United States East Coast and also provides connections to/from Latin America via Manzanillo, Panama.

Israeli carrier Zim Integrated Shipping Services (ZIM) might join the 2M Alliance between Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Co., Alphaline said quoting industry sources. This news followed the last week's news of South Korea’s Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM), currently a member of the G6 Alliance, that it was in negotiations to join the 2M partnership. 2M alliance currently consists of Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. (MSC). Zim has a 3.3 percent share in the trans-Pacific route, Alphaliner said and that would be good synergy for 2M. Zim is the only major global container ship operator that has not officially joined any of the existing alliances or the new groupings that will begin next year.

There are rumours among observers that the  market leader Maersk Line is planning to acquire South Korea’s shipping major Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM). Neither company has commented on the matter. Both companies were tight-lipped today on merger talk. According to a Reuters report, Maersk itself hasn't made a major acquisition for more than a decade but says it might be open to "the right opportunity", although doubters believe such deals risk accumulating ships without securing enough customers. Jakob Stausholm, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at Maersk Line, said: "If the right opportunity is there we will look into it. If you look at the history of Maersk Line, we have achieved our leadership position by combination of organic growth and acquisitions.

"THE Alliance" forged by six of the world’s largest multi-services shipping companies would challenge the dominance of global giants such as Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Co. (2M). The new partnership, is an expanded alliance of G6 and CKYHE,  is expected to revolutionize the maritime industry in the next five years and beyond. THE Alliance is expected to add a seventh member due to ongoing merger discussions between Hapag-Lloyd and United Arab Shipping Company. The carriers involved in “THE Alliance” - Hanjin, Hapag-Lloyd, “K”Line, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Yang Ming - said that the binding agreement is scheduled to be implemented in April 2017 subject to approval of all relevant authority.

Hapag-Lloyd launches “THE Alliance” with old and new partners – Customers benefit from additional sailings and direct connections. The container shipping industry is undergoing a period of reorganization – and Hapag-Lloyd is assuming a leading role in the process. The carrier has just teamed up with five other shipping companies to forge one of the world’s largest container shipping alliances. Plans call for the new alliance – appropriately named “THE Alliance” – to officially begin operations in April 2017. Together, the member shipping companies currently possess approximately 3.5 million TEU, or some 18 percent of the global container fleet capacity.

Facing less-than-expected market demand, members of the G6 Alliance announced additional void sailings within the container shippers’ Asia-Europe service, suspending its Loop 6 service until further notice. The G6 Alliance, which consists of APL, Hapag-Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Orient Overseas Container Line, said it continues to offer various services between Asia and Europe covering major port pairs with weekly sailings. The shippers said further service adjustments are possible as the G6 Alliance continues to review its product profile…

Korea Times says that Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) will join a new global shipping alliance, as the cash-strapped shipper has successfully reached a debt-rescheduling deal with its bondholders. HMM announced that it has reached a resolution with holders of all five bond issues that are maturing in 2016 and 2017. South Korea’s second largest shipping line had held meetings with holders of the 177-2, 179-2 and 180 issues on 31 May, and holders of the 176-2 and 186 issues on 1 June. According to a government official, key members of THE Alliance said they will support HMM’s membership application. Since the shipper successfully cleared a hurdle of debt adjustment negotiations with its bondholders, HMM’s entrance to THE Alliance is expected to be just a matter of time, he added.

Ahead of the Panama Canal expansion two alliances have announced they will upsize some of their ships on the Asia-US East Coast route. How quickly will the others follow? The 9,400-teu Cosco containership Andronikos will make the first transit of the expanded Panama Canal on Sunday 26 June, and ahead of that two shipping alliances – CKHYE and G6 – have laid out their plans to upgrade the size of ships used on the Asia-US East Coast via Panama route. In November last year Container Insight Weekly noted that Drewry expected carriers to resist the urge to flood the trade with the biggest ships possible and that vessel upgrades will be incremental and in line with demand growth. That prediction seems to have come true based on the immediate plans that have been communicated thus far.

Speaking at the Intermodal Association of North America on May 5 in Chicago, U.S. Federal Maritime Commissioner William P. Doyle discussed several of the shipping industry’s hottest topics, including ocean carrier consolidations and alliances, container weight VGM under SOLAS, and chassis. “We’ve all heard the recent announcements related to consolidations, for instance, CGM CGM and NOL-APL; and COSCO and CSCL. “We’ve all heard the announcement that Hapag Lloyd and UASC are in discussions on a possible merger.

The European Commission said on Friday it had cleared French shipping group CMA CGM's $2.4 billion takeover of Neptune Orient Lines on condition that NOL pulls out from a rival shipping alliance. The announcement confirms a Reuters report on April 21 about the impending approval. CMA CGM, the world's third-biggest container shipping company, is looking to strengthen its position against bigger rivals Maersk Line and Swiss-based Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC). The European Commission said in a statement that its approval was conditional on CMA CGM's commitment to withdraw NOL from the G6 alliance, which competes with its own Ocean Three alliance.

The Panama Canal has linked the Pacific with the Atlantic for more than 100 years. It will soon be possible for significantly larger ships to pass through its locks. What will the expansion mean for Hapag-Lloyd? They’re still working in Panama, on one of the biggest construction sites in the world. Everything seems gigantic here. The lock gates alone, veritable monsters of grey steel: 16 in total, each of them 57 meters long, averaging 30 meters high, ten meters thick and weighing 3,300 metric tons. They were brought by special ships from Italy to the jungle of Central America.

According to WSJ report, deals involving Cosco, China Shipping, CMA CGM and Neptune Orient Lines to bring major changes in global shipping alliances. China Cosco Shipping and CMA CGM are hoping to form a new alliance with OOCL, Evergreen Line, and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, according to sources in the Chinese shipping industry. According to the Alphaliner, CMA CGM and Cosco are leading efforts to create a new vessel-sharing alliance that could include Evergreen Line and OOCL and would shake up three of the four major east-west carrier groupings. CMA CGM’s plans to bring APL into the O3 Alliance once the NOL acquisition is done has put the spotlight on the G6 Alliance.

China COSCO Shipping Corp Ltd and three partners, including France's CMA CGM SA, announced a new shipping partnership, OCEAN Alliance, formed to challenge 2M - the world's largest container carrier alliance. Other members of the new COSCO alliance are Taiwan-based Evergreen Line and Hong Kong's Orient Overseas Container Line. The partnership, called “Ocean Alliance”, would involve a fleet of 350 container ships and in a first stage cover more than 40 services. The carriers said: "The alliance will also bring service reliability and the most efficient integration of the latest vessels in a fleet of over 350 containerships. The partners plan to begin operations in April 2017 for an initial period of five years, CMA CGM said in a statement.

EU approval conditional on NOL pulling out from G6 alliance. French shipping group CMA CGM's $2.4 billion takeover of Neptune Orient Lines is set to be cleared by the European Union's competition regulators, on condition that NOL pulls out from a rival shipping alliance, two people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. CMA CGM, the world's third-biggest container shipping company, is looking to strengthen its position against bigger rivals Maersk Line and Swiss-based Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC). CMA CGM's plan to withdraw NOL from the G6 alliance, which competes with its own Ocean Three alliance, was able to address European Commission concerns, the people said.

Mergers and acquisitions, rather than the historically more popular alliances, are inevitable to address chronic overcapacity and drive further cost savings in container shipping, Fitch Ratings says. The merger talks between Hapag-Lloyd and United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) announced last week demonstrate that full-blown M&A deals are gaining momentum. Although capacity on the Far East to Europe trade routes is dominated by just four alliances - 2M (36% of the total fleet capacity in September 2015, according to A.P. Moller-Maersk), CKYHE (24%), Ocean Three (21%) and G6 (18%) - container shipping remains effectively fragmented, highly competitive and plagued by overcapacity.