In the span of just a few months, Maersk Line and CMA CGM have increased their presence on the routes between Asia and West Africa in an expansive collaboration involving five services, and today the two carriers - through their subsidiaries Safmarine and Delmas - possess the by far biggest market share between the two growth continents.

Carriers such as NileDutch and PIL have also combined their two services, just as Swiss MSC has launched its first direct service.