What is happening with Alibaba and liner shipping?

Photo: Minipig5188 | Dreamstime.com

SeaIntelligence Consulting’s Lars Jensen has penned a very illuminating column in today’s Splash247, investigating how the tie-ups between Maersk, CMA CGM and Zim with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is actually supposed to work. Alibaba’s OnTouch freight booking platform offers Chinese shippers a rebate scheme on shipments booked on its platform. Given the tie-ups with the three carriers, these shipments are then directed onto their vessels, which on the face of it appears to be a win-win. However, Mr Jensen also ...