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Ocean Three hope to file agreement with US regulators soon

THE Ocean Three co-operation carriers, United Arab Shipping Co, China Shipping Container Lines and CMA CGM, are filing documents with the US Federal Maritime Commission to launch their new alliance in December as planned.

UASC president and CEO Jorn Hinge said the shipping lines hoped to file with the Washington agency very soon, reported Lloyd's List, as the FMC is allowed up to 45 days to review filings.



It can also request further information from the shipping lines. When the carriers come back with a response to the request the 45-day review period re-starts, although the FMC can only do this once.



This means reviews can easily take 90 days if extra information is requested.



Mr Hinge said the carriers were hoping to start their vessel sharing co-operation in December because CSCL was taking delivery of the first of five 19,000 TEU ships and UASC would receive the first order of 14,000 TEU ships in November.



He said that the carriers' networks would need to be adjusted to cater for the new ships and it would be easier to make these changes all at once, rather than having to readjust the networks for a second time for the start of the Ocean Three co-operation.



He added that the Ocean Three alliance also had already set fleet expansion plans in motion.



Alliances in the past had fallen apart, he said, because the various carriers disagreed on when to order new ships and therefore lost a commercial advantage as others around them continued to develop.



The carriers aim to share vessels on the Asia-Europe, Asia-Mediterranean, Transpacific and Asia US east coast trades.



"In future we will have to order again, but for the meantime we have the ships of the right size and engine type to operate in these trades," he said. 
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