GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Sep 4, 2026

Shipping Alliance

A forwarder books with Hapag-Lloyd, yet the vessel sails on a Maersk schedule – a shipping alliance makes that possible.

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Last updated: 4 September 2026

Source: Frachtportal-News «Hapag-Lloyd steigt mit 25 Prozent bei Maasvlakte II in Rotterdam ein» (26.08.2026); Hapag-Lloyd Pressemitteilung 08/2026

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Logistics Concept

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Definition & Explanation

A forwarder books with Hapag-Lloyd, yet the vessel sails on a Maersk schedule – a shipping alliance makes that possible. The term describes a contractual arrangement between container liner carriers to operate joint services in defined trade lanes, deploy vessels together and exchange slots with one another. Partners share capacity and port calls but remain independent in the market and quote their freight rates separately; price coordination would breach competition law. Examples include the Gemini Cooperation launched by Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk in 2025 and comparable groupings among other carriers. For shippers this means more sailings and denser networks, but also a concentration of volumes on a few large hubs. Not to be confused with a slot charter agreement, which merely covers individual slots between two carriers.

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Shipping Alliance

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