FMC opens public comment on Premier Alliance agreement

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has initiated 15 days for public comments on a recently filed vessel-sharing agreement among Ocean Network Express (ONE), HMM, and Yang Ming Marine Transportation.

The three container lines are already members of THE Alliance Agreement (No. 012439) which will be active until February 2025.

Under the new agreement, the three shipping companies will form the Premier Alliance that will allow ONE, HMM and Yang Ming to share vessels, charter or exchange space on each other’s vessels, coordinate on vessel size, number, and operational specifics, and conduct other collaborative activities.

The Premier Alliance Agreement (No. 201435) can be accessed for public viewing in the FMC’s online Agreement Library.

The FMC encourages the submission of comments by 20 November 2024, for them to be most beneficial to the Commission’s review. Comments submitted will remain confidential and are protected from public disclosure under 46 CFR 535.608, subject to certain exceptions.

“Activities conducted under agreements filed with the Commission and in effect are exempt from federal antitrust laws. If the Commission takes no action, the Premier Alliance Agreement will become effective on December 12, 2024,” noted the Commission.

The FMC is currently evaluating the agreement to determine if it may, by limiting competition, lead to an unreasonable reduction in transportation services, increased transportation costs, or a significant decrease in competition for specific services. The Commission is also reviewing the agreement to ensure it complies with restrictions on ocean common carriers, other Shipping Act provisions, and the Commission’s regulations.