Following Maersk Line's acquisition of Hamburg Süd, the Danish carrier announces that the volumes of Hamburg Süd on the East-West trades will be shipped on vessels in the 2M network operated by MSC and Maersk Line.

According to a press release from Maersk Line this is "due to changes in the global liner alliances." What used to be four global alliances only a few years ago is now reduced to three as a result of mergers, acquisitions and the collapse of Hanjin last year.

"We are pleased with this agreement. Accommodating these additional volumes enables improved utilization in our fleet and in turn provides opportunities to enhance our customer offering on select trades in our East-West network," says Søren Toft, Chief Operating Officer, Maersk Line.

The agreement is scheduled to begin April 1 this year. It covers the Asia-North Europe, Asia-Mediterranean, Trans Atlantic, and Trans Pacific trades.

Maersk Line underscores that the slot agreement is not related to the announcement of Maersk Line's acquisition of Hamburg Süd which was released Dec. 1 2016.

The parties will disclose more information about the network changes during the coming week.

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