MSC has announced changes to its current strategic cooperation with SM Line in the trade between the West Coast of North America and the Far East.
In addition to MSC and SM Line, such changes are also expected to affect Maersk, with whom MSC also cooperates on several transpacific services under the 2M Agreement.
2M partners Maersk and MSC will no longer exchange slots with SM Line on this route as of May.
It should be noted that SM Line began cooperating with 2M carriers in April 2020. This occurred when a former partnership of the 2M and HMM ended and the Korean carrier joined THE Alli- ance competition as a full member. SM Line thus became a new partner, but not a member, of 2M.
In 2020, Maersk, MSC and SM Line agreed to jointly operate an Asia – WCNA service (‘TP8 / Orient / PS1’) until March 31, 2023 with SM Line contributing two 11,300 teu vessels.
The three companies also agreed to some additional slot swaps and exchanges, giving SM Line access to the 2M China Central – California ‘TP3 / Sequoia’ and Far East – USWC ‘TP2 / Jaguar’ loops, which the Korean line calls ‘PS6’ and ‘PS2’.
In turn, MSC has started using SM Line’s Korea-China-Northwest Pacific ‘PNS’ service, calling it ‘Rose service’.
This ‘PNS / Rose’ currently tours in six weeks (with only four vessels) calling at Busan, Kwangyang, Ningbo, Shanghai, Busan, Busan, Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, Busan.
“The slot exchange agreement between SM Line and the 2M alliance partners will end with effect from May 8,” MSC said.
The Swiss carrier will continue to serve the three North American west coast ports of the “PNS/Rose” with 2M services or some of its stand-alone Far East – WCNA loops.
From MSC’s point of view, Vancouver will be covered through the company’s Eagle, Maple and Chinook services. The latter is a stand-alone loop that has also recently begun serving Seattle.
The Swiss carrier can serve Portland with its stand-alone Shanghai – Busan – USWC “Mustang” loop, which began making direct calls at Portland earlier this month with the February 1 arrival of the 5,050-teu MSC NERISSA.
