Maersk and MSC have mutually agreed to discontinue their 2M alliance, which is set to end in January 2025. The 2M alliance is a container shipping line vessel sharing agreement between Maersk and MSC, which was introduced in 2015.
The alliance was to assist each member to help cover as much of the shipping market as possible by combining their fleets of cargo ships, which allowed Maersk and MSC to increase their customer base globally, as well as offering more competitive prices.
Over the past few years, MSC and Maersk have embarked on their own distinctly different strategies, with MSC investing in enlarging their fleet by purchasing second hand vessels and ordering 1.8 million TEUs of newbuild capacity. Alternately, Maersk has been focusing on being an end-to-end logistics integrator, not on fleet expansion.
Two major shipping alliances (Ocean Alliance & The Alliance) remain after the dissolution of 2M. Analysts believe that the announcement of the termination of the 2M alliance may signal the beginning of a broad, industry-wide restructuring of current operational contracts, particularly on the east-west trade lanes, as both companies control about 1/3rd of the world’s container capacity.
For more information, contact Debbie McGuire, Director – Freight Solutions.
