The United States Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has finally approved the Premier Alliance Agreement, which will take effect on 9 February.
The Premier Alliance Agreement allows HMM, Ocean Network Express (ONE) and Yang Ming to share vessels in the trades between the United States and Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
The Commission issued Requests for Additional Information (RFAI) on 5 November 2024, to collect the data necessary for completing an economic analysis of the competitive effects of the agreement. The RFAI process included a 15-day public comment period which generated filings by two industry trade associations.
The information provided by the Premier Alliance Agreement was deemed by the Commission as responsive on 26 December 2024. The law provides the Commission a maximum of 45 days to review a newly filed agreement or the responses to an RFAI before the agreement automatically goes into effect.
