The big container alliances, 2M, Ocean Alliance and THE Alliance, make up nearly 83% of the total containership fleet. However, according to a new survey, they operate only 39% of global container capacity, despite their overwhelming market dominance.

In other words, the capacity operated under the three alliances combined constitutes a little over a third of the capacity operated by carriers individually. Shipping analysts claim the new percentage estimation (namely 38.9%) is the lowest in three years, reports Shipping Watch. At one point over the past five years, the percentage neared 41%.

However, the percentage of alliance-operated capacity varies depending on the shipping route, says the new analysis. For instance, carriers tend to collaborate more when operating ships on long-haul trades. Nearly 94% of capacity on the Far East – Europe trade (practically the longest sea trade route from east to west) is operated under alliance agreements.

Conversely, alliances service about 47% of the capacity on the shorter transatlantic route. On the transpacific, alliance services constitute 81% of total capacity.

Container carriers Maersk and MSC announced their intention to end their 2M Alliance earlier this year, which was established in 2015. Being the top-two liners with the largest capacity worldwide, the percentage is likely to drop further as they take practical steps to gradually withdraw from their partnership.

Experts recently speculated that the new market conditions could trigger either the termination or the formation of other alliances. During a conference in California earlier this year, Lars Jensen, shipping analyst and CEO and Partner of Vespucci Maritime, said, “The next thing I expect to happen is a divorce announcement from Ocean Alliance, and my expectation is that it is going to happen sometime here in 2023.”