OCEAN Alliance Extends Partnership Until 2032
On February 27, the CEOs of CMA CGM Group, COSCO SHIPPING, Evergreen, and OOCL signed an agreement to extend the operational collaboration of their shipping lines within the OCEAN Alliance for at least another five years. Initially established in April 2017 for a five-year term, the alliance had previously been extended through 2027 in early 2019. With this recent agreement, CMA CGM, COSCO SHIPPING, Evergreen, and OOCL will continue as alliance partners until at least March 31, 2032.
Traditionally, the four carriers present their revised East-West network for the upcoming year in the first quarter. However, this year, the signing ceremony in Shanghai aimed to convey a message of stability and planning security to clients, emphasizing the commitment of all OCEAN members to maintain their alliance partnership without triggering any reshuffling.
Speculations about a potential alliance restructuring emerged after Hapag-Lloyd’s decision to exit THE Alliance in January 2025, joining the new East-West ‘Gemini Cooperation’ with Maersk from February 2026. Despite concerns that the remaining members of THE Alliance might struggle without a replacement for Hapag-Lloyd, an Alphaliner report in October suggested that ONE, HMM, and Yang Ming could sustain the alliance without the German liner.
Contrary to assumptions, Hapag-Lloyd does not represent the largest tonnage contributor in THE Alliance. While the carrier contributes 26.2% of the alliance’s capacity, ONE, Yang Ming, and HMM contribute 38.7%, 17.6%, and 17.5%, respectively. The extension of the OCEAN Alliance precludes any reshuffling involving OCEAN and THE Alliance members. However, the agreement keeps Wan Hai, a Taiwanese carrier with a fleet of soon-to-be eighteen modern neo-panamax ships, as a potential new member of THE Alliance.
