Commissioner Richard A. Lidinsky, Jr. Votes to Request Additional Information from G6 Alliance Members

January 15, 2014

Commissioner Richard A. Lidinsky, J.r, voted to request further information from the members of the G6 Alliance Agreement, thus joining other Commissioners effectively stopping the 45-day clock on the review of the Agreement.

On December 2, 2013, American President Lines, Ltd. (APL), Hapag Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine Company, (HMM), Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. (MOL), Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK), and Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), filed an Amendment to extend their cooperation to all major trade routes between Asia and the U.S. West Coast, and between Europe, the Mediterranean and the U.S. Gulf and East Coasts. The expanded cooperation agreement also calls for the operation of 180 – 220 ships with a maximum capacity of 14,000 twenty foot equivalent units (TEU), and operating one or more Service Centers.

The Commissioner stated “It is imperative the Commission fully understands the implications of what has been proposed. Of particular concern is how the proposed Service Centers will operate autonomously of the parties to the Agreement, and how the five members of the Alliance belonging to the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (TSA) will act independently from the one lone independent carrier in setting rates for certain routes covered by the Agreement.”