MSC set to more than double its share of slot-sharing agreements
Major Changes in Shipping Schedules for 2025: MSC’s New Partnerships and Fleet Expansion
Major shipping companies announced their schedules for the main east-west trade routes starting in February next year. This is because old agreements are ending and new partnerships are forming.
One of the big news items was that Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC), the world’s largest container shipping line, will not be operating alone as originally planned.
In recent years, MSC has been preparing for the end of its 2M partnership with Maersk. Under the leadership of Soren Toft, MSC has been growing its fleet rapidly. Last year, MSC surpassed 5 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units), reached 6 million TEUs in July, and is on track to hit 7 million TEUs by early 2026.
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MSC’s plan was to build a global shipping network without needing partners. However, in the recent announcements about shipping schedules for 2025, MSC revealed that it will collaborate with other shipping lines on major routes.
MSC has signed a three-year agreement with the Israeli carrier ZIM. This deal is understood to be a slot-sharing agreement for voyages between Asia and the US east coast. Additionally, the new Premier Alliance, which includes Asian carriers Ocean Network Express (ONE), HMM, and Yang Ming, will charter slots from MSC for several services from Asia to Europe.
According to Sea-Intelligence, a Danish consultancy, MSC’s own services on its global deep-sea network will increase from 48% to 61% starting in February. Slot-sharing agreements will make up 26% of MSC’s services, up from 10% today. Vessel-sharing agreements will remain at 13%.
MSC’s report noted, “Even though MSC is expanding its standalone network for 2025, it will also more than double its share of slot-sharing agreements.”
Other significant changes starting February 1 include Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk launching a new partnership called Gemini Cooperation. Meanwhile, the existing liner group Ocean Alliance, which includes CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, and OOCL, will continue its vessel-sharing agreement until the end of March 2032.
