The CMA CGM Group, the world’s third largest container shipping company, has signed agreements with CSCL and UASC to create the Ocean Three alliance, pending agreement from the Federal maritime Commission.

The agreements provide for a combination of vessel sharing, slot exchange and slot charter on the Asia-Europe, Asia-Mediterranean, Transpacific and Asia-United States East Coast trades. The services are:

• On the Asia-Europe trade: 4 weekly services, which complete the 2 existing services, thereby offering 6 departures per week

• On the Asia-Mediterranean trade: 4 weekly services, 2 to the Mediterranean, 1 to the Adriatic and 1 to the Black Sea the only one on this market
• On the Transpacific: 4 weekly services to California and 1 service to the Pacific Northwest (United States and Canada)
• On the Asia-US East Coast trade: 1 service via the Suez Canal and 1 service dedicated to the Gulf of Mexico.

The agreements on the Transatlantic trade are being finalized and will soon be announced.

CMA CMG says that this new offering will combine both speed and reliability. Rotations will be optimized with calls in all the biggest Asian, European and North American ports, using trans-shipment hubs common to the three partners.

“The number of weekly calls proposed and the transit times will be among the best on the market, thereby responding to the expectations of our clients,” said Rodolphe Saadé, CMA CGM Vice Chairman. “We are very pleased to have signed these three agreements with such reputable partners, whom we both know and appreciate. This will allow us to propose to our clients a high quality and reliable alternative what exists on the market.”