The world’s first container shipping company with a capacity of 6 million TEU has shown!
According to the latest data from Alphaliner, MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) now holds over 20% of the global container shipping market capacity, setting a new record in the liner shipping industry. The company is just one “large vessel delivery” away from reaching the 6 million TEU milestone.
As of July 3, MSC operates a fleet of 837 owned and chartered container ships, with a total capacity of 5,979,659 TEU. This includes 539 owned ships with a capacity of 2,998,557 TEU and 298 chartered ships with a capacity of 2,981,102 TEU. Additionally, MSC has 99 new ships with a total capacity of nearly 1.2 million TEU awaiting delivery.
Alphaliner notes that MSC’s fleet growth has been faster than any other shipping company, “thanks to a massive newbuild program, numerous second-hand acquisitions, and, to a lesser extent, chartering.” MSC’s fleet capacity surpassed the 5 million TEU milestone in May of last year.
Meanwhile, Alphaliner’s data from May 30 indicates that THE Alliance shipping companies hold an 11.6% share of the global market, the future joint venture between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd holds about 22%, and Ocean Alliance members hold nearly 29%. Other non-aligned shipping companies, such as Wan Hai, Zim, and PIL, hold most of the remaining market share.
Currently, MSC’s market share surpasses some of the major alliances, enabling it to operate a global network outside the soon-to-end 2M Alliance with Maersk. However, MSC might still enter into vessel-sharing agreements for specific trades in the future.
Xeneta’s semi-annual report noted: “The dissolution of the 2M Alliance is already underway, with MSC and Maersk now effectively operating their own services under the 2M umbrella. This simplifies the process, but there is still a lot of work to be done to fully transition to the new alliance structure.”
MSC achieved the record-breaking 20% market share by purchasing a 9,600 TEU container ship, “MSC Nicole X.” This ship, previously named “A.P. Moller,” was the latest acquisition from Maersk, which currently ranks as the second-largest shipping company.
