The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) is seeking more information from Hapag-Lloyd and AP Moller-Maersk before giving the green light to their new alliance.
The US maritime watchdog said it needed to determine the potential competitive impact of the global operational agreement between two of the world’s biggest container shipping companies.
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd — the second and fifth-largest liners respectively — filed their Gemini Cooperation agreement with the US regulator on 31 May.
The agreement would allow them to share vessels in the trades between the US and Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Agreements become effective 45 days after filing unless the regulator issues a request for additional information, meaning it would have had approval on 15 June.
Not enough detail
However, the information on the Gemini agreement as submitted “lacks sufficient detail to allow for a complete analysis of its potential competitive impacts”, the FMC said.
The information sought “is commercially sensitive and is not publicly published”, it added.
The commission said it would consider the agreement once it has received “a fully compliant response to its inquiry”.
Then it has 45 days to review the agreement for competitive and legal concerns before it becomes effective.
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd plan to launch the Gemini Cooperation in February 2025.
The new alliance will have a pool of 290 ships with a combined capacity of 3.4m teu. Maersk will deploy 60% of the capacity and Hapag-Lloyd 40%.
The move marks a shake-up of the global liner scene, not just in the US, as it affects two existing alliances.
The cooperation is scheduled to come into effect one month after the dissolution of the 2M Alliance run by Maersk and MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co.
Hapag-Lloyd will leave THE Alliance, where it is a partner with Japan’s Ocean Network Express, Taiwan’s Yang Ming Line and South Korea’s HMM.
