Reshuffled Container Alliance Networks Take Shape, Offering Suez and Cape Routes

Container shipping alliances are reshaping their East-West liner schedules for 2025, with new network plans and partnerships emerging as the industry continues to adapt to ongoing challenges in the Red Sea region.

This week, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd’s Gemini Cooperation has released a second draft network plan, while THE Alliance (ONE, HMM, and Yang Ming) – soon to be rebranded as Premier Alliance – has also announced a new list of services. MSC, meanwhile, set to become independent, has also shared new details on 2025 network.

Notably, MSC has established slot exchange agreements with Premier Alliance for Asia-Europe routes and with ZIM for Transpacific services.

With the announcements, maritime consultancy Drewry says while we now know more about what the landscape for East-West container services will look like in 2025, there is still plenty of uncertainty with the final networks considering external factors such as the situation in the Red Sea.

In response to ongoing Houthi attacks on shipping, both MSC and Gemini have created two versions of their network plans, offering options for Suez Canal and Cape of Good Hope routing. A Gemini representative stated there is “no credible end in sight” to the diversions, suggesting the Cape of Good Hope version is likely to be the default setting.

The new alliance structures reveal a shift in the industry landscape. Drewry’s analysis indicates that from 2025, there will be two larger networks (MSC and partners, plus Ocean Alliance) and two smaller ones (Premier and Gemini), with the former deploying about 30% more weekly loops than the latter.

Despite having fewer services, Gemini is focusing on service quality rather than quantity, with the alliance maintaining its commitment to 90% on-time service reliability once fully operational, which they claim has received strong support from customers.

Drewry concludes, “Carriers’ provision of contingency options is welcome news and will assist customers’ planning by letting them know the range of options available to them.” The consultancy expects the slower, more ship-intensive Cape of Good Hope configurations to be the default setting when the new alliances start operations early next year.

Watch: Drewry webinar – Liner alliances post-Gemini