Shipping groups have mutually agreed to terminate the partnership in 2025, ten years after it was first introduced

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Maersk A/S, an entity of AP Moller-Maersk, have mutually agreed to terminate the 2M alliance, effective January 2025.

MSC and Maersk shipping containers stacked Adobe

The 2m alliance is a container shipping line vessel sharing agreement which came into force in 2015 with the aim of ensuring competitive and cost-efficient operations on the Asia-Europe, Transatlantic and Transpacific trades.

In a joint statement, Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc and MSC chief executive Soren Toft said that ending the alliance would free up both organisations.

“MSC and Maersk recognise that much has changed since the two companies signed the ten-year agreement in 2015,” they said. ”Discontinuing the 2M alliance paves the way for both companies to continue to pursue their individual strategies.

”We have very much appreciated the partnership and look forward to a continued strong collaboration throughout the remainder of the agreement period. We remain fully committed to delivering on the 2M alliance’s services to customers of MSC and Maersk.”

The shipping groups noted that the announcement had ”no immediate impact” on the services provided to customers using the 2M trades.