U.S. Regulator Delays Shipping-Alliance Approval

The Wall Street Journal (online registration required): LONDON--The Federal Maritime Commission on Thursday pushed back a decision on whether to give the word's three-biggest container-shipping companies the green light to form an alliance that would control a 40% market share in some of the busiest ocean trade routes.

The U.S. watchdog said that one of it commissioners raised questions about the so-called P3 alliance among Danish company Maersk Line, Swiss-based Mediterranean Shipping Co. and France's CMA CGM before a deadline on Friday for concerns to be submitted. The three shipping operators now have 45 days to address those questions.

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