The United States Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) reported Friday that it has requested additional information on Gemini Cooperation , an operational collaboration between Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk that was scheduled to come into effect next week.
“The Federal Maritime Commission needs more information to determine the possible competitive impacts of the agreement,” said this independent federal agency in a statement.
Both companies, two of the largest shipping lines in the world, announced this alliance at the beginning of this year, but it was not until May 31 that they presented the agreement to the FMC, opening a period of 45 days before its entry into valid unless additional information (RFAI) is requested.
The agreement would allow these companies to share ships on routes between the United States and Asia, the Middle East and Europe .
“The Commission has determined that the Gemini Cooperation Agreement as presented lacks sufficient details to allow a complete analysis of its possible competitive impacts,” it said in the statement, although it avoided specifying what information it is requesting.
The Commission has 45 days from the time it determines that the responses to the information request are considered complete to review the agreement for legal and competition issues before it takes effect.
Additionally, he indicated that a 15-day public comment period will open once the RFAI public notice is published in the Federal Register next week.
The Gemini Cooperation Agreement would have come into force on Monday, July 15, 2024, without this commission action.
The cooperation between Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk will comprise a fleet of around 290 vessels with a combined capacity of 3.4 million 20-foot containers (TEU); Maersk will deploy 60% and Hapag-Lloyd 40 percent.
As a consequence of joining this cooperation, Hapag-Lloyd will leave THE Alliance at the end of January 2025 . In January 2023, Maersk and MSC announced that the 2M alliance will end in January 2025.
In their initial statement, Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk planned for the Gemini Cooperation to begin in February 2025 .
The cooperation will cover 7 markets: Asia / West Coast of the United States, Asia / East Coast of the United States, Asia / Middle East, Asia / Mediterranean, Asia / Northern Europe, Middle East – India / Europe and Transatlantic.
According to the maritime consulting firm Alphaliner, Maersk is the second largest shipping line in the world with four million 333 thousand 686 20-foot containers (TEU) under its management and 713 vessels; while Hapag-Lloyd, in fifth position, has two million 161 thousand 435 TEU and 286 ships.
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