MEMBER carriers of the Transpacific Stabilisation Agreement (TSA) have made a plea to the US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to allow TSA absorb the Westbound Transpacific Stabilisation Agreement (WTSA) and become a single entity to monitor the entire transpacific round-trip trade.

TSA executive administrator Brian Conrad said as most carriers offering round-trip transpacific services have formed one single group to deal with both TSA and WTSA, merging the existing two agreement can cut administrative costs, which is important in the "sustained low-revenue environment seen in recent years".

 "Since they operate their business on a round-trip basis, it only makes sense to view the two segments as an integrated whole from an agreement perspective as well," said Mr Conrad.

 TSA members include APL, China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL), Cosco, Evergreen, Hanjin Shipping, Hapag-Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM), "K" Line, Maersk, MSC, NYK Line, OOCL Yangming and Zim.

(Source:JOC)