Which shipping companies are included in the Ocean Alliance？

The Ocean Alliance is a maritime alliance composed of four shipping companies, namely CMA-CGM, Cosco, Evergreen, and OOCL. The Ocean Alliance provides 40 routes globally, covering major routes in Asia, Europe, the Mediterranean, North America, and South America. Among them, the route from Asia to North America is the focus of the Ocean Alliance, dominating the cross-border e-commerce logistics in the western United States. The establishment and operation of the Ocean Alliance have had a profound impact on the shipping industry and cross-border e-commerce, improving the efficiency and stability of shipping, providing cross-border e-commerce sellers with more route choices, faster timeliness, more convenient container picking, better prices, and better services. The Ocean Alliance is a powerful alliance in the shipping industry and a reliable partner for cross-border e-commerce.

一、 Ocean Alliance: A Powerful Alliance in the Shipping Industry

The shipping industry is an important part of global trade, with billions of containers transported between continents each year. To cope with market competition and operating costs, major shipping companies worldwide have formed three major international shipping alliances: 2M Alliance, Ocean Alliance, and THE Alliance. Among them, the Ocean Alliance is a powerful alliance composed of four shipping companies, namely French CMA CGM, COSCO, EMC, and OOCL. The Ocean Alliance holds over 30% of the market share in the container shipping route from Asia to North America, dominating the cross-border e-commerce logistics in the western United States. This article will introduce the background, members, routes, and impact of the Ocean Alliance.

二、Background of the Ocean Alliance

The establishment of the Ocean Alliance can be traced back to 2016, when CMA CGM acquired NOL, the parent company of APL, a shipping company in the United States. COSCO and China Shipping merged to form COSCO Shipping and later acquired OOCL. CMA CGM and China Shipping were members of the O3 Alliance, while COSCO and Evergreen were members of the CKYHE Alliance. The agreements of these two alliances expired at the end of 2016. There was already a cooperative relationship between the shipping companies, so the establishment of the Ocean Alliance was a natural progression. The Ocean Alliance officially began operations in April 2017 and is currently in its fifth phase (Day 5 Product).It covers 40 global routes, more than 330 vessels, and over 200 ports.

三、Members of the Ocean Alliance

1.CMA CGM: A shipping giant from France, it is the third-largest container shipping company in the world. It owns more than 500 vessels, with a capacity exceeding 2.6 million TEU, covering over 200 routes and 400 ports. CMA CGM also owns the American President Lines (APL), as well as several regional brands such as ANL, CNC, CMA CGM Intra Asia, etc. CMA CGM is the leader of the Ocean Alliance, occupying more than 40% of the alliance’s capacity.

2.COSCO: A shipping giant from China, it is the fourth-largest container shipping company in the world. It owns more than 500 vessels, with a capacity exceeding 2.3 million TEU, covering over 100 routes and 300 ports. COSCO also owns OOCL, as well as several regional brands such as COSCO Intra Asia, COSCO Shipping Lines, etc. COSCO is an important member of the Ocean Alliance, occupying about 35% of the alliance’s capacity.

3.Evergreen Marine (EMC): A shipping giant from Taiwan, it is the sixth-largest container shipping company in the world. It owns more than 200 vessels, with a capacity exceeding 1.2 million TEU, covering over 80 routes and 200 ports. Evergreen Marine also owns several regional brands, such as Evergreen Marine, Evergreen Line, etc. Evergreen Marine is an important member of the Ocean Alliance, occupying about 15% of the alliance’s capacity.

4.OOCL: A shipping giant from Hong Kong, it is the seventh-largest container shipping company in the world. It owns more than 100 vessels, with a capacity exceeding 700,000 TEU, covering over 40 routes and 100 ports. OOCL also owns several regional brands, such as OOCL Logistics, OOCL Intra Asia, etc. OOCL is an important member of the Ocean Alliance, occupying about 10% of the alliance’s capacity.

These four shipping companies provide more efficient and stable shipping services by sharing vessels, merging routes, and improving capacity utilization. They can jointly use resources such as ports, terminals, and logistics facilities, share the establishment of routes, share shipping routes and containers, thereby allowing customers who purchase transportation services to obtain a wider range of route services, more choices of shipping schedules, and higher capacity flexibility, thereby better meeting the shipping needs of sellers.

四、OA Alliance Routes The Ocean Alliance provides shipping services globally and covers major routes in Asia, Europe, the Mediterranean, North America, and South America. Among them, the route from Asia to North America is the focus of the Ocean Alliance, with a total of 23 routes, 15 of which go to the west coast of the US, and 8 to the east coast. These routes are characterized by precise routing, fast timeliness, and convenient container picking, winning the confidence and favor of cross-border e-commerce sellers. The following are some representative routes, which are also the preferred routes of Newcool International Logistics:

1.COSCO SEA Route: The COSCO SEA route is a fast line from Asia to the west coast of the US, with a transit time of 13-17 days. The ship unloads at the LBCT terminal, the most automated terminal in the western US, ensuring fast and stable container pick-up. This route is shared by COSCO and OOCL, with an average capacity of about 13,000 TEU. The advantage of this route is that it provides direct service to major ports such as Ho Chi Minh City, Nansha, Hong Kong, Yantian, Kaohsiung, etc., covering the main export markets in Asia.

The COSCO SEA route is one of the important routes of the Ocean Alliance and is also one of the preferred routes for cross-border e-commerce sellers. The characteristics of this route are:

Precise Routing: The voyage of the COSCO SEA route is 13-17 days, saving 3-5 days compared to ordinary routes, which can allow sellers to deliver goods to customers faster, improving customer satisfaction and sales.

Fast Timeliness: The timeliness of the COSCO SEA route is stable, unaffected by seasons, weather, shipping schedules, etc., allowing sellers to better grasp the dynamics of goods and reduce inventory and capital occupation.

Onvenient Container Pick-up: The unloading terminal of the COSCO SEA route is the LBCT terminal, the most automated terminal in the western US, ensuring fast and stable container pick-up, no need to wait, can directly berth. The LBCT terminal also provides a reservation-free container pick-up service, providing chassis, greatly improving the efficiency and safety of container pick-up. Remember, only containers starting with SO and 688 are guaranteed for cabin and container.

2.EMC HTW Route: This is a fast line from Asia to the west coast of the US, with a transit time of 14-16 days. The ship unloads at EMC’s own ETS terminal, no need to wait, can directly berth. This route is shared by EMC and OOCL, with an average capacity of about 8,000 TEU. This route also provides a reservation-free container pick-up service, providing chassis, greatly improving the container pick-up time. The advantage of this route is that it provides direct service to major ports such as Yantian, Ningbo, Shanghai, Qingdao, Busan, etc., covering the main export markets in Asia. Note, only the SO number starting with SCE is the priority for cabin and container booking, while OOCL starts with 88, this cabin position will be slightly more expensive.

3.EMC NE1 Route: This is a global route from Asia to Europe, with a transit time of 25-30 days. The ship unloads at major ports such as Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp, etc., ensuring fast and stable container pick-up. This route is shared by EMC and CMA, with an average capacity of about 14,000 TEU. The advantage of this route is that it provides direct service to major ports such as Ningbo, Shanghai, Busan, Nanjing, etc., covering the main export markets in Asia.

4.EMC NE3 Route: This is a global route from Asia to Europe, with a transit time of 25-30 days. The ship unloads at major ports such as Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp, etc., ensuring fast and stable container pick-up. This route is shared by EMC and CMA, with an average capacity of about 14,000 TEU. The advantage of this route is that it provides direct service to major ports such as Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Ningbo, Shanghai, Busan, etc., covering the main export markets in Asia.

5.COSCO ACC2 Route: This is a global route from Asia to the east coast of the US, with a transit time of 25-30 days. The ship unloads at the Cologne terminal, the largest terminal in the eastern US, ensuring fast and stable container pick-up. This route is shared by COSCO and OOCL, with an average capacity of about 14,000 TEU. The advantage of this route is that it provides direct service to major ports such as Ningbo, Shanghai, Busan, Hong Kong, etc., covering the main export markets in Asia.

6.COSCO AEU1 Route: This is a global route from Asia to Europe, with a transit time of 25-30 days. The ship unloads at major ports such as Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp, etc., ensuring fast and stable container pick-up. This route is shared by COSCO and OOCL, with an average capacity of about 20,000 TEU, making it one of the largest container ships in the world. The advantage of this route is that it provides direct service to major ports such as Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Ningbo, Shanghai, Busan, etc., covering the main export markets in Asia.

7.COSCO AEU3 Route: This is a global route from Asia to Europe, with a transit time of 25-30 days. The ship unloads at major ports such as Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp, etc., ensuring fast and stable container pick-up. This route is shared by COSCO and OOCL, with an average capacity of about 20,000 TEU, making it one of the largest container ships in the world. The advantage of this route is that it provides direct service to major ports such as Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Ningbo, Shanghai, Busan, etc., covering the main export markets in Asia.