Two container giants, Maersk A/S, an entity under A.P. Moller - Maersk and the MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) have mutually agreed to terminate, effective in January 2025, the present 2M alliance.
In a joint statement, CEO Vincent Clerc of A. P. Moller - Maersk, and CEO Soren Toft of MSC said: “MSC and Maersk recognize that much has changed since the two companies signed the 10-year agreement in 2015. Discontinuing the 2M alliance paves the way for both companies to continue to pursue their individual strategies.
We have very much appreciated the partnership and look forward to a continued strong collaboration throughout the remainder of the agreement period. We remain fully committed to delivering on the 2M alliance’s services to customers of MSC and Maersk.”
The recent announcement has no immediate impact on the services provided to customers using the 2M trades. Each company’s customer teams will communicate with their respective clients to support during, and beyond, the phase-out of the 2M alliance.
Background information about the 2M alliance:
2M is a container shipping line vessel sharing agreement (VSA)
It was introduced in 2015 by Maersk and MSC with the aim of ensuring competitive and cost-efficient operations on the Asia-Europe, Transatlantic (see story) and Transpacific trades
The 2M agreement has a minimum term of 10 years with a 2-year notice period of termination.
