Federal Maritime Commission okays Premier Alliance agreement

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) in the US has given its blessing to the formation of the Asian liner grouping, the Premier Alliance.

Alliance partners HMM, Ocean Network Express (ONE), and Yang Ming were left stunned when in early November the FMC demanded more information about the new alliance, hobbling its February 1 official launch. 

Now satisfied with the alliance structure, the FMC has said the liner grouping can start on its main east-west trades connecting with the US from this Sunday.

It has now been a week since global liner alliances underwent their biggest shuffle in a decade, with Hapag-Lloyd leaving its Asian peers to form the Gemini Cooperation with Maersk, and Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) largely going it alone while the members of the Ocean Alliance remain intact.