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Maersk is in a network sharing alliance with MSC. reefer option to shippers looking for whole ship charters.
Together with the other two alliances, the consortia Some, like Zespri, use a combination of both during their
controls some 80 percent of global container shipping. export season.
Referring to further consolidation Skou said that In direct competition with Maersk, Hamburg Süd,
digitalisation could lead to more: “The investment and CMA CGM/Marfret and others, the new Seatrade service
cost you have to put into digitalisation means there will quickly attracted CMA CGM with the two 'amalgamating'
be an incentive for companies to merge. You still have a their respective direct services on the Northern Europe/
lot of companies with weak balance sheets.” Australia/NewZealand route.
On Maersk's Hamburg Süd acquisition Skou said the That combination saw Seatrade with Meridian and
intention is to maintain the business model of Hamburg &0$ &*0 ZLWK 3$' 3DQDPD 'LUHFW /LQH LQ D 9HVVHO
Süd and its commercial structure in the regions, 6KDULQJ $JUHHPHQW 96$ WKDW LQFOXGHG WKH )UHQFK
with its customers served through the Line's existing niche operator Marfret (CMA CGM's partner in the PAD
ORFDO RI¿FHV D UHOLHI IRU PDQ\ RI +DPEXUJ 6G V ORQJ VHUYLFH 7KH FRPELQHG VHUYLFH ZDV WR RSHUDWH D MRLQW
VWDQGLQJ OR\DO 1HZ =HDODQG FXVWRPHU EDVH string of 13 container ships – six Seatrade, six CMA
Divesting itself of non-core activities including its CGM, one Marfret – operating Northern Europe/ECNA
Energy business, the new integrated Maersk is upgrading 3KLODGHOSKLD &HQWUDO $PHULFD 3DFL¿F ,VODQGV $XVWUDOLD
its logistics offering through its subsidiary Damco. The New Zealand/Peru/Caribbean/Northern Europe – a
aim is online connectivity, according to Maersk digital rotation that includes the major reefer sectors: NZ/USA;
chief, Ibrahim Gokcen, who told Fairplay magazine this NZ/Europe; Peru/USA/Europe.
year that the Line plans to become “an IT company with But, as this Handbook went to press, a sudden shock
a few ships rather than a shipping company with a bit announcement said Seatrade would withdraw from the
of IT. VSA to consider its global strategy, while CMA said it
“Everything in the world is being digitalised, and would be upgrading to a weekly service. This is bad
Maersk will make the transition to the digital world. That QHZV IRU H[SRUWHUV QRW OHDVW =HVSUL IDFLQJ D VHULRXV
is the right way forward,” he said. reduction in service choice. Challenging uncertainty then
prevailed as 2017 drew to a close.
Reefer container shipping: the pipeline for Kiwi meat,
fruit & veg Remote container management
While 2016 was dominated by consolidation in container Remote container management of reefer boxes is the
shipping, the conventional reefer sector continued to new-ish must-have tool for shipping lines and shippers of
decline according to Fairplay and shipping consultancy refrigerated containers. Again it is the pacesetter Maersk
Drewry. that has led the way on the shipping line front with the
7KH\ OLVW DQ DJHLQJ ÀHHW UHGXFLQJ FDSDFLW\ introduction of its new Remote Container Management
aggressive price competition from container carriers and V\VWHP 5&0 ZKLFK DV WKH QDPH VXJJHVWV SURYLGHV
higher bunker costs as contributors to the decline. relevant information on the container wherever it is, to
Drewry estimates that in 2016 perishable reefer cargo both Maersk and its customers.
was carried 79 percent by reefer container ships and 21 It is this dual aspect that would seem to mark the
percent by specialised reefer. By 2021 the consultancy Maersk service as frontline. Others do have remote
forecasts this modal split will have changed to nearer reefer container monitoring including CMA CGM and
85/15 percent. its TRAXENS container tracking system, however it is
With its strong, long presence on the NZ/Europe unclear how easily the TRAXENS information on reefer
trade, Dutch reefer specialist Seatrade in mid-2017 boxes is relayed to customers or how customers can
responded to the inroads of the container lines by retrieve the information themselves.
converting its full break-bulk reefer service to a full RCM, says Maersk, gives complete access to the
containerised service operated by new high reefer container's location, temperature and atmospheric
DSSUR[LPDWHO\ SOXJV SHU VKLS FDSDFLW\ 7(8 conditions inside the box and the power status of the
FRQWDLQHU VKLSV RQ D (XURSH 6RXWK 3DFL¿F 1HZ =HDODQG box. All these readings are continuously collected
6RXWK $PHULFD (DVW &RDVW 1RUWK $PHULFD (&1$ (XURSH and stored. The information is relayed via satellite
URWDWLRQ FDOOHG WKH 0HULGLDQ VHUYLFH transmitters on 400 Maersk vessels.
There is also a break-bulk capacity allocation on board And if something does go wrong, Maersk's RCM
the new builds. Seatrade continues to offer a specialised experts 'manage' the container problem remotely or

46 NZ Export & Trade Handbook 2018