THE Alliance Welcomes HMM

The members of THE Alliance, Hapag-Lloyd, Ocean Network Express, and Yang Ming have welcomed Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) as a new core member of THE Alliance.

With the US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) acceptance of HMM membership, THE Alliance offers an attractive upgraded product package and it will be launched around April 1st, 2020.

Based on the existing comprehensive network of THE Alliance, the newly en-hanced product package will offer increasing frequency particularly from South East Asia, as well as new direct port coverage and improved transit times.

Now that HMM joined The Alliance, its new offering for 2020 will consist of 33 services, 280 ships and a coverage of 78 ports globally. That is up from 2019’s level of 29 services, 249 ships and 76 ports.

The upgraded service package includes:

- A new pendulum service replacing the existing Asia-Europe FE5 and Transpacific PS7 services with a new highly efficient design. This new service, to be further named, will be operated by 18 modern 14000+ TEU ships and provides added weekly Transpacific coverage between South East Asia and Southern California, thereby expanding the number of services directly covering this lane to three, in addition to FP1 and PS3.

- A modified PS3 will offer new direct coverage of Haiphong creating more value and choice for the customers.

- Further to the enhanced Transpacific coverage of South East Asia, a new Transpacific loop, PS8, focusing on Central China and Korea (including new coverage of Incheon) will be inaugurated around 1st April 2020.

- For Asia and North Europe, the group will deploy two efficient 20,000+ TEU vessel services in a newly revised FE2 and FE4 design which will bring economies of scale and positive environmental benefits.

The newly upgraded service network which is expected to commence from around April 1st, 2020 will offer the respective clients better choices with much broader coverage and improved service frequency. THE Alliance will continue to bring innovative product solutions to the East/West Trades.