The “Port & Shipping” section includes SRM’s short report on P3 Network, the new alliance that is set to be launched by three European carriers that are world leaders in the maritime transport of containers: Danish company Maersk Line, Swiss company MSC, and French company CMA CGM, which combined control a 37% market share of all the TEUs (6.5 million) transported on the planet (Alphaliner 2013).

Five Italian ports are included in the network of services which CMA CGM, Maersk, and MSC intend to launch in the second quarter of next year, upon receipt of authorisation from the competent authorities.

The port of Gioia Tauro will be a port of call on the Asia-Northern Europe (Silk service), Asia-Mediterranean/Black Sea (services Dragon and Jade), and transatlantic links (Medusa and MedGulf services). The ports of Genoa and La Spezia will be part of the Dragon service on the Asia-Mediterranean route, of the Medusa service on the Mediterranean-US East Coast route, and of the MedGulf service on the Mediterranean-US Gulf route, with La Spezia also included in the Jade service on the Asia-Mediterranean/Black Sea route. The port of Trieste will be a port of call of the Phoenix service on the Asia-Mediterranean route. The port of Naples will be part of the Medusa service, connecting the Mediterranean with the East Coast of the USA.

Italian ports will in any case be staples on the Asia-Mediterranean-Black Sea route, and on the transatlantic routes, whereas for the time being they will not be touched by services addressed to the West and East Coasts of the United States. A port selection process has also begun, with tree northern Italian ports – Genoa, La Spezia and Trieste – and two ports in Southern Italy – Naples and Gioia Tauro – at the fore for now.…(read the short report…).