The Premier Alliance Agreement, allowing HMM Co., Ltd., Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd., and Yang Ming to share vessels on trade routes between the United States, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, will take effect on February 9, 2025.
The agreement was initially filed with the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) on October 28, 2024. Following this filing, the FMC issued Requests for Additional Information (RFAI) on November 5, 2024, to gather data necessary for an economic analysis of the agreement's competitive impact.
A 15-day public comment period on the RFAI was held, with two industry trade associations submitting their feedback.
The FMC deemed the information provided by the alliance partners as responsive on December 26, 2024. Under the Shipping Act, the FMC has a 45-day review period for newly filed agreements or responses to RFAIs before the agreement automatically enters into force.
Alliance agreements are subject to strict ongoing monitoring by the FMC.