Hapag Lloyd will be part of the new network.

Two major shipping alliances are to join forces to create one of the largest vessel networks of the Far East–Europe trade.

The deal brings together New World Alliance members  APL, Hyundai Merchant Marine and Mitsui OSK, with Grand Alliance members Hapag Lloyd, NYK and OOCL.   In total they will operate nine services with fast transit times using more than 40 ships and covering more than 40 ports in Asia, Europe and the Mediterranean.

The new G6 alliance is scheduled to begin operation by April 2012 with seven joint services operating between Asia and Europe and two services to the Mediterranean. It includes a direct Far East-Baltic service with calls at Gdansk, Poland and Gothenburg, Sweden as well as transhipment in Singapore.

Member carriers said the new alliance will have fast transit times, broad port coverage and the latest vessels, with capacities of up to 14,000 TEU. The new alliance will enable the most efficient integration of the largest ship sizes that will be introduced over the next 30 months.

The nine joint services will offer more frequent departures with daily sailings from the major Asian, European and Mediterranean ports. The schedule will include multiple weekly calls at Singapore, South China, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Southampton. The ports of call also include Le Havre, Antwerp, Bremerhaven, Thamesport, the Bohai Bay ports of Dalian and Xingang, Ningbo, Qingdao, Xiamen, Kaohsiung, Cai Mep, Japanese ports, Colombo, Jeddah, and Port Said.