A.P. Moller–Maersk

A.P. Moller–Maersk A/S is a Danish group. Maersk Line carries a large share of global containers. The group also owns terminals and has tried to sell end-to-end logistics so a shipper never leaves its network.

For years Maersk shared ships with MSC under the 2M vessel-sharing agreement. Alliances let carriers fill ships without merging. They also let competitors see capacity plans. The 2M arrangement ended in 2025. Maersk then cooperates through other sharing deals, including with Hapag-Lloyd in Gemini, rather than sailing fully alone.

US and European enforcers watch alliances because pandemic freight rates showed how fast prices move when capacity is managed jointly. An alliance is not automatically a cartel. It is a legal cooperation that can slide into one if members coordinate prices rather than just hulls.

Terminal ownership is the vertical piece. A line that also runs the berth can prefer its own ships. Rival lines call that discrimination. Ports call it investment.

Vessel-sharing agreements are horizontal cooperation among the firms that set capacity on a trade lane.

The end of 2M changed partners. It did not end alliance shipping.

Terminal ownership can preference the owner's vessels on berthing and cranes.

Logistics integration can tie inland trucking and customs to the ocean contract.

Importers pay freight that moves with alliance capacity. A blank sailing is a supply cut they cannot replace quickly.

A small exporter on a secondary port depends on whichever alliance still calls there.