The launch of the Ocean Three alliance has been delayed until late January as the network re-organises services, says United Arab Shipping Co (UASC) president and CEO Jorn Hinge.

Alliance partners China Shipping and UASC are ready to go, but CMA CGM must still extricate itself from joint services with non-member lines, said Mr Hinge, reports Lloyd's List.

The alliance has survived US regulatory scrutiny as it had already been approved by the Federal Maritime Commission without a detailed review because of its low 13 per cent market share in the US trades.

Ocean Three will have a 20 per cent market share of the Asia-Europe trade, which is within the European Commission's threshold for a consortium's block exemption from competition rules.

The network serves three main trades in 17 fixed-day weekly loops, 159 ships of combined capacity of 1.5 million TEU carrying capacity serving 91 ports of call. 42 ships of 300,000 TEU will serve the Asia-Mediterranean trade in four weekly loops making 59 weekly calls at 31 ports.

While transatlantic services have not yet been finalised, the network will offer seven weekly loops in the Asia-North American trades, deploying 52 vessels with a capacity of 400,000 TEU serving 29 ports.