The US maritime regulator FMC voted unanimously on Tuesday (March 28) local time to allow 2M alliance partners Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) to sign a strategic cooperation agreement with Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM).

While the agreement falls outside the scope of Maersk and MSC's 2M vessel-sharing agreement, it will effectively allow slot-sharing and slot-buying between the three parties. The arrangement will allow HMM to enter 2M's route network and allow 2M to take over vessels currently chartered and operated by HMM, particularly on trans-Pacific routes.

According to FMC, the agreement between 2M and HMM will come into effect on March 30 .

While the FMC vote was unanimous, Commissioner William Doyle expressed some concerns. He said shippers should understand that the conditional clauses in the 2M Alliance ship-sharing agreement will not apply to this new strategic cooperation agreement.

"In fact, 2M is not mentioned anywhere in the Maersk/MSC/HMM strategic partnership agreement," Doyle said in a statement.

Maersk has promised customers: "2M cargo will only be loaded on HMM's ships if the customer specifies it in a clear agreement, and it is limited to the Asia -US west coast route service operated by HMM ."

Doyle said MSC had not yet offered a similar undertaking to shippers to exclude cargo from being transported on HMM's vessels.

"Small and medium-sized shippers often lack the bargaining power to choose the physical carrier for their cargo. Maersk's statement was broadly interpreted as responding to shippers' concerns in the wake of Hanjin's bankruptcy - meaning that shippers will be in the middle of the physical carrier for their cargo. Active action on the issue could be seen as shippers seeking protection for fear of cargo being transported via HMM vessels.”