CMA CGM and MSC has joined to the platform for shipping the containerized TradeLens promoted from Maersk and IBM



The more and more frequent initiatives of collaboration between the French shipowning group CMA CGM and the first two world-wide groups in the segment of the containerized marine transport, the Danish Maersk Line and the Helvetian Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) that they are partner in the alliance called 2M from the initials of the two companies, seem to confirm the voices - up to now not relieved from some concrete element - that they more assume an ulterior consolidation of the field own with an approach tightened between CMA CGM and the others two companies. A more solid tie that - according to some gossips from bar (or pub) - could be translate before in an understanding on the falsariga of those operating ones signed from the 2M with the South Korean Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) and then with Israeli ZIM or in an alliance to three on more solid bases.

The today's announcement of the adhesion of CMA CGM and the MSC to the TradeLens, the digital platform for the marine transport based on the technology blockchain that it is developed by the computer science group IBM with the Maersk(on 9 August 2018), it on purpose seems made in order to feed chats between marine operators attempts to sip an aperitif or a pint of beer.

But the today's communication of the participation of the French company and that Swiss to the digital platform seems to be able to provoke confronts more or less alcoholic also among those who they fear as the plague ulterior concentrations between the main world-wide marine carriers for the ability that they would have to condition the market. In particular, emphasizing that "the addition of CMA CGM and the MSC will supply a considerable impulse to the concept of greater confidence, transparency and collaboration and collaboration between supply chain own of TradeLens and face to promote the total commercial exchanges", it could be received as the attempt to hide behind a fig leaf which for some is in reality an ulterior step in order to construct monopolies that would be able to limit the competition in the field of the shipping containerized.

Anything but warning the executive vice president IT & Transformations of CMA CGM: "we consider - Rajesh Krishnamurthy has explained - than TradeLens, with its engagement for open standards and governance opened, is a platform essential in order to contribute to promote this digital transformation. The net of TradeLens - it has emphasized - is already demonstrating that the coming participants from all the ecosystem of the supply chain can trare of a meaningful value".

Of the same André Simha warning, chief Digital & Information officer of the MSC: "the digital collaboration - it has observed - is the key for the evolution of the field of the containerized marine transport. The TradeLens platform has enormous a potential one in order to push the field to digitize the supply chain and in order to create participation around common standards. We - he has added Simha - consider that the advisory board of the TradeLens, so as organisms of standardization as the Digital Container Shipping Association, they will contribute to accelerate this effort".

The Digital Container Shipping Association is an association constituted last month with the scope to define common computer science standards for the field of the containerized marine transport. And it is an once again instituted association on initiative of the shipowning world being founded from the shipowning companies Maersk, CMA CGM, MSC, Hapag-Lloyd and Ocean Network Express (ONE) and in which shipowning companies Evergreen, HMM, Yang Ming and ZIM will enter soon also(on 16 April and 14 May 2019). Perhaps a new initiative to which someone, always to the small table of a bar, they have attributed monopolistic attempts and that others, more realistically, has intended as a useful step in order to promote an ulterior digitalisation of the supply chain that it can be more effectively completed from the shipowning field, that is in possession more means and than more resources respect to other more fragmented sections of the logistics.

That the purposes of the promoters of TradeLens are to be profitable the absolutely open and transparent platform has evidenced it also Bridget van Kralingen, senior vice president Global Industries, Clients, Platforms & Blockchain of IBM: "more than one hundred participants - it has specified - they have laid by their confidence in the TradeLens net and are obtaining a greater transparency and simplicity in cargo handling. Together - it has emphasized - we are getting ahead a shared objective face to modernize the commercial ecosystems of the world".

Projects are not enough but only to the shipowners because as this has happened. The commercial director of Danish group A.P has rimarcato. Møller-Mærsk, Vincent Clerc: "if the participation of the carrier is fundamental - it has specified - is equally important to find that the TradeLens platform is based on the participation of the entire ecosystem of the supply chain".