CONTAINER SHIPPING CONSOLIDATION CONTINUES
According to the latest analysis by Alphaliner, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has become the first container shipping line in history to control more than 20% of global liner shipping capacity. MSC accounted for 21.5% of all container vessel capacity in operation at the end of May, further strengthening its position as the world's largest carrier. Over the past fifteen years, MSC has effectively doubled the size of its fleet, steadily increasing its market share. According to Alphaliner, no carrier has ever achieved such a dominant position in the liner shipping market. The previous record was held by Maersk, which reached a market share of 19.3% in 2018.
MSC’s rapid expansion stands in contrast to the strategy pursued by Maersk. Maersk has in recent years maintained a self-imposed fleet ceiling of approximately 4.1 to 4.3 million TEU, focusing on fleet renewal, decarbonisation and the development of integrated logistics services rather than capacity growth. As a result, Maersk’s share of global container capacity has fallen to 13.7%, its lowest level in two decades and the lowest since the acquisition of P&O Nedlloyd in 2005.
According to Alphaliner, Maersk currently operates just under 4.7 million TEU of capacity, of which approximately 1.84 million TEU is chartered. MSC’s fleet, by comparison, now stands at nearly 7.4 million TEU. Third-ranked CMA CGM has also seen its market share decline slightly, from a peak of 12.9% in 2023 to 12.5% today, despite operating a fleet of approximately 4.3 million TEU.
The latest figures also highlight the continuing consolidation of the global container shipping industry. The ten largest carriers now control 84.7% of global liner shipping capacity, only marginally below the record level of 84.8% reached in January 2021. Alphaliner notes that almost 500,000 TEU of newly delivered vessel capacity entered the fleets of the top ten carriers between December 2025 and April 2026, with much of this growth driven by MSC, CMA CGM and Ocean Network Express (ONE).
Source: The Loadstar