The World's Biggest Container Shipping Companies

With approximately 90% of the world’s goods transported by sea, it is no understatement to say that container shipping is one of the most vital parts of global modern commerce, transporting everything from electronics and apparel to raw materials.

Over the past decade, major international shipping companies have raced to expand their fleets and network reach. Strategic mergers, high-capacity vessel orders and digitalisation have reconfigured the landscape, creating a handful of giants that together control more than half of global container capacity. 

Yet as these carriers pursue economies of scale, they must also navigate port infrastructure limits, regulatory scrutiny and evolving customer demands for lower carbon footprints and end-to-end visibility.

This article covers the 20 biggest shipping companies in the world - ranked by total Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) capacity, as of March 2025.

20. Sinokor Merchant Marine

• Headquarters: Seoul, South Korea
• Total TEU capacity: 122,252
• Number of vessels: 80
• Market share: 0.4%
• Alliance: Independent (slot agreements with regional partners)

Established in the mid-1950s, Sinokor Merchant Marine began life as a state-supported carrier tasked with developing South Korea’s coastal and short-sea trades. By the early 1970s the company had diversified into containerised operations, launching its first owned boxship on the Korea–Japan route. 

Today, Sinokor’s fleet of 80 vessels ranges from 1,000-TEU feeders to 4,000-TEU Panamax ships, serving more than 20 ports across Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia and Australia. 

19. IRISL Group

• Headquarters: Tehran, Iran
• Total TEU capacity: 137,720
• Number of vessels: 31
• Market share: 0.5%
• Alliance: Independent (slot agreements with regional lines)

The Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) began in 1967, when it was established as Iran’s flag‐carrier to service burgeoning oil and general cargo trades. 

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, IRISL expanded its operations, but the imposition of international sanctions beginning in 2012 sharply restricted its ability to finance new builds or secure foreign‐built tonnage. 

IRISL turned to domestic shipyards, most notably the Iran Marine Industrial Company (SADRA), to commission post-Panamax container vessels beginning in 2016. Combining 4,200–5,000 TEU ships with chartered tonnage, it now sustains a fleet of 31 vessels that link Bandar Abbas and Kharg Island to ports in the Persian Gulf, the Mediterranean, and the Indian subcontinent.

18. Unifeeder

• Headquarters: Copenhagen, Denmark
• Total TEU capacity: 138,995
• Number of vessels: 86
• Market share: 0.5%
• Alliance: Independent (feeder specialist)

Founded in 1990 by a consortium of Danish shipping investors, Unifeeder has grown into Europe’s largest independent feeder operator.

Their fleet of 1,000–3,000 TEU vessels runs high-frequency loops connecting tier-2 and secondary ports, from Gothenburg and Klaipėda in the north to Valencia and Gioia Tauro in the Mediterranean, to the deep-sea terminals of the major alliances. 

Over the past decade, Unifeeder has absorbed smaller feeder lines such as Danser and Interfeeder, and added Black Sea and Western Mediterranean services. Their 86 vessels handle more than 4 million TEU annually.

17. Sea Lead Shipping

• Headquarters: Singapore
• Total TEU capacity: 141,202
• Number of vessels: 32
• Market share: 0.5%
• Alliance: Independent (regional network)

Sea Lead Shipping began in 2005 to capitalise on the rapid growth of intra-Asia trade. They deployed a fleet of 1,000–2,500 TEU feeders that access lower-volume ports often bypassed by ultra-large container vessels. 

From its base in Singapore, the carrier built weekly point-to-point loops linking South China’s Pearl River Delta with Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines, winning business from exporters looking to avoid the congestion of major transpacific gateways.

16. Korea Marine Transport Corporation (KMTC)

• Headquarters: Seoul, South Korea
• Total TEU capacity: 150,704
• Number of vessels: 64
• Market share: 0.5%
• Alliance: Independent (slot and co-loading agreements)

Founded in 1954 as a state-owned coaster and tramp operator, KMTC moved into container shipping in the early 1970s to serve Korea’s burgeoning exports of textiles, electronics, and automobile parts. It steadily upgraded its fleet over the decades to a mix of 1,500–6,000 TEU Panamax and post-Panamax vessels. 

Today KMTC operates 64 ships on routes linking South Korea to East-West trade lanes, including transpacific, Asia–Europe and intra-Asia circuits, while maintaining a strong presence in the Australia–New Zealand trade.

Although outside the three main alliances, it exchanges slots and co-loads with HMM, COSCO and ONE to offer weekly sailings on trunk routes. 

15. Regional Container Lines (RCL)

• Headquarters: Bangkok, Thailand
• Total TEU capacity: 151,534
• Number of vessels: 46
• Market share: 0.5%
• Alliance: Independent (co-loading agreements)

Regional Container Lines (RCL) started in 1989 as a Thai joint venture aiming to connect Southeast Asian exporters with major transpacific and Europe–Asia services. 

RCL steadily expanded its fleet, introducing modern 1,800–3,500 TEU Panamax ships in the late 2000s to tackle intra-Asia and Middle East trades. Today, its 46-vessel fleet serves over 30 ports across Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and Australia, offering weekly loops that bridge regional production hubs with global gateway services.

Digital innovation and sustainability are rising priorities. The launch of MyRCL Portal in 2022 gave customers real-time booking, track-and-trace and freight-rate benchmarking across all services. 

On the environmental front, the carrier has trialled biofuel blends on two Panamax vessels and optimised vessel trim and speed profiles, cutting CO₂ intensity by an estimated 8% in 2024.

14. X-Press Feeders

• Headquarters: Singapore
• Total TEU capacity: 157,681
• Number of vessels: 81
• Market share: 0.5%
• Alliance: Independent (feeder specialist)

X-Press Feeders was founded in 1991 to offer dedicated feeder services between Europe and India, quickly building a name for reliability on short-sea trades. 

Its standardised fleet of 700–1,500 TEU vessels allows it to call at ports too shallow for larger ships, complementing the mainline loops of the major alliances. 

In 2025, X-Press operates 81 vessels linking over 100 ports across Asia, the Middle East, East Africa and Europe.

X-Press structures its schedule around hub-and-spoke operations, feeding cargo to deep-sea terminals in Rotterdam, Jebel Ali, Singapore and Mundra. Its expertise in synchronising feeder and mainline connections yields sub-24-hour transshipment windows. Co-loading agreements with MSC, Maersk, and ONE further its reach.

13. Shandong International Transportation Corporation (SITC)

• Headquarters: Yantai, China
• Total TEU capacity: 160,156
• Number of vessels: 101
• Market share: 0.6%
• Alliance: Independent (co-loading agreements)

SITC was established in 1998 in China’s Yantai province, serving the burgeoning coastal container trades. SITC expanded into South–Southeast Asia routes by the mid-2000s, and today its fleet comprises 101 ships ranging from 1,200 TEU feeders to 4,200 TEU post-Panamax vessels.

SITC’s network spans over 60 ports including Singapore, Penang, Nhava Sheva and Durban, delivering tailored loops that match cargo flows for heavy industry, consumer goods and foodstuffs.

In 2018 SITC acquired a majority stake in Taicang Terminal in the Yangtze Delta and holds concessions at Karachi and Nhava Sheva, granting it dedicated berth space and control over stevedoring quality.

SITC’s environmental compliance has advanced through the adoption of advanced hull coatings on 20 vessels and fuel-efficiency retrofits on its Panamax class, achieving a 10% reduction in fuel consumption per TEU-mile since 2020. 

As China’s Belt and Road Initiative stimulates new trade corridors, SITC aims to secure feeder and trunk cargo flows into Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

12. Pacific International Lines (PIL)

• Headquarters: Singapore
• Total TEU capacity: 295,567
• Number of vessels: 89
• Market share: 1.0%
• Alliance: Independent (slot-exchange agreements)

Founded in 1967 by Chang Yun Chung, Pacific International Lines began as a regional plying of Malaysian and Indonesian ports before evolving into a global liner in the 1990s. 

Today PIL’s 89-vessel fleet spans 1,000 TEU feeders to ultra-large 14,000 TEU containerships, covering over 350 ports on six continents. Its early order for seven 14,000 TEU post-Panamax ships in 2014 enabled direct Asia–Europe and transpacific services without transshipment.

PIL maintains flexible capacity across key trades, sustaining weekly slot-exchange arrangements with Maersk and CMA CGM on the Asia–Europe, Asia–North America West Coast and intra-Asia routes. The carrier has also expanded into breakbulk and ro-ro through joint ventures, broadening its cargo mix.

The launch of PIL Live in 2024, an AI-driven booking and rate-management portal, has cut booking turnaround by up to 40%. Environmentally, its seven new 14,000 TEU ships are fitted with dual-fuel LNG engines, anticipating IMO 2030 greenhouse-gas targets.

11. Wan Hai Lines

• Headquarters: Taipei, Taiwan
• Total TEU capacity: 481,225
• Number of vessels: 118
• Market share: 1.7%
• Alliance: Independent (slot-exchange agreements)

Wan Hai Lines, established in 1965 as a timber-and-general cargo carrier, entered container services in 1986 to capitalise on Taiwan’s electronics export boom. 

Its current fleet of 118 vessels ranges from 1,200 TEU feeders to 8,000 TEU neoPanamax ships, serving 50 trade routes across the Pacific, Asia–Europe, South America and the Middle East.

Major Panamax acquisitions in 2017 boosted transpacific sailings to monthly frequencies, while the 2021 order for eight 7,400 TEU boxships reinforced its Asia–Europe eastbound strings. Slot-exchange partnerships with HMM, ONE and CMA CGM ensure Wan Hai can offer weekly departures even on its more specialised loops.

10. Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation

• Headquarters: Keelung, Taiwan
• Total TEU capacity: 711,393
• Number of vessels: 98
• Market share: 2.2%
• Alliance: Premier Alliance

Founded in 1972 to support Taiwan’s burgeoning export sector, Yang Ming has evolved into a full‐service liner operator with a fleet ranging from 1,000–3,000 TEU feeders to 7,400 TEU neo‐Panamax vessels.

In the 1990s, the carrier extended its reach beyond Asia–Pacific, establishing direct loops to Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, and the U.S. West and East coasts. 

As a founding member of the Premier Alliance, Yang Ming leverages weekly slot exchanges with partners, most notably HMM and ONE, to ensure schedule integrity on flagship Asia–Europe and transpacific strings, even during peak season surges.

Over the past five years, Yang Ming has doubled down on digitalisation and environmental compliance. The roll‐out of a cloud‐native booking, track‐and‐trace and document‐automation platform in 2023 cut customer enquiry response times by 30% and reduced manual errors by 45%.

On the sustainability front, the carrier has equipped 18 of its Panamax ships with aluminium‐oxide scrubbers to meet IMO 2020 sulphur limits, trialled biofuel blends on its Taipei–Tokyo shuttle and partnered with ports in Kaohsiung and Rotterdam to deploy shore‐power connections.

Yang Ming has ordered six 15,000 TEU dual‐fuel vessels for delivery in 2026, marking its first direct investment in LNG propulsion.

9. ZIM Integrated Shipping Services

• Headquarters: Haifa, Israel
• Total TEU capacity: 781,026
• Number of vessels: 130
• Market share: 2.5%
• Alliance: Independent (slot-exchange agreements)

Originating in 1945 as ZIM Merchant Marine, the carrier has undergone multiple transformations, from Israel’s state-owned national line to a publicly listed, tech-centric liner operator since its 2021 IPO on the New York Stock Exchange. 

Today, ZIM’s fleet of 130 ships spans 700 TEU coastal feeders to 14,000 TEU neoPanamax vessels, serving over 100 ports across six continents. 

Despite its independent status, ZIM secures weekly capacity on major transpacific and Asia–Europe strings through slot agreements with MSC, Maersk and CMA CGM, allowing it to offer differentiated schedules for high-value and time-sensitive cargo.

ZIM’s digital strategy centres on the ZIM APEX platform, introduced in 2022, which delivers instant freight quotes, e-bill of lading issuance and blockchain-backed container visibility. This has reduced booking-to-shipment lead times from days to hours. 

Environmentally, ZIM has signed letters of intent for eight 16,000 TEU methanol-capable vessels, set for 2026 delivery, which will cut CO₂ intensity by 25% compared to conventional fuel. It also retrofitted six ships with exhaust gas cleaning systems and collaborates with ports in Europe and Asia to trial biofuel bunkering corridors.

8. HMM Co. Ltd.

• Headquarters: Seoul, South Korea
• Total TEU capacity: 913,867
• Number of vessels: 83
• Market share: 2.9%
• Alliance: Premier Alliance

Originally established in 1976 as Halla Marine Transport Corporation, HMM has become South Korea’s national champion in container shipping. Its modern fleet of 83 vessels encompasses 2,800 TEU Panamaxes up to 23,964 TEU ultra-large container ships (ULCVs) which service direct Asia–Europe and transpacific trades. 

As a member of the Premier Alliance, HMM offers owned tonnage with slot and co-loading agreements alongside ONE and Yang Ming, providing weekly sailings.

HMM’s digital roadmap features an integrated customer portal launched in 2021 that offers booking, track-and-trace, customs e-filing and predictive ETA alerts. The platform’s AI engine analyses real-time vessel and port data to optimise schedule reliability. 

HMM has invested heavily in green technologies. All new 23,500 TEU ULCVs are dual-fuel enabled for low-sulphur marine gas oil or LNG, and 10 Panamax ships have been retrofitted with ammonia-ready engines under a 2023 joint venture with Hyundai Heavy Industries.

HMM has placed options for six additional LNG-fuelled ULCVs and is trialling wind-assist rotor sails on its mid-size fleet.

7. Evergreen Marine Corporation

• Headquarters: Taoyuan, Taiwan
• Total TEU capacity: 1,792,468
• Number of vessels: 225
• Market share: 5.7%
• Alliance: Ocean Alliance

Founded in 1968, Evergreen became one of Asia’s first pure-container operators, offering direct trade services from Taiwan to the U.S. West Coast in the early 1970s. Its current fleet of 225 ships ranges from 1,500 TEU feeders to 23,992 TEU ULCVs, the largest delivered in 2021–2022. 

Evergreen’s network spans over 240 ports worldwide, with hubs in Los Angeles, Rotterdam, Kaohsiung, and Singapore. As a member of the Ocean Alliance, it has slots on Asia-Europe, transpacific and intra-Asia loops, maintaining weekly departures even as ULCVs concentrate traffic into deeper ports.

Evergreen has driven technological and environmental innovation in liner shipping. Its “Evergreen Connect” platform, rolled out in 2022, supports end-to-end e-booking, dynamic schedule adjustments and automated demurrage alerts, boosting online adoption. 

Environmentally, the line retrofitted three neoPanamax ships with Flettner rotor sails in 2023, and equipped all ULCVs with scrubbers to meet IMO 2020 caps. At the Kaohsiung and Rotterdam terminals, Evergreen was among the first to deploy shore-power facilities, cutting berth emissions by 95%.

6. Ocean Network Express (ONE)

• Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan (registered in Singapore)
• Total TEU capacity: 1,977,686
• Number of vessels: 257
• Market share: 6.2%
• Alliance: Premier Alliance

Launched in April 2018 through the merger of NYK Line, MOL and “K” Line’s container businesses, ONE instantly became the world’s sixth-largest carrier. 

Its magenta-hulled fleet of 257 vessels spans 1,200 TEU regional feeders to 14,000 TEU ULCVs, operating 120 global trade services. ONE slots into the Premier Alliance alongside HMM and Yang Ming, securing weekly strings on Asia–Europe, transpacific, and intra-Asia routes.

ONE’s digital ecosystem centres on the ONE eCommerce portal, revamped in 2023 to provide real-time space and rate availability, end-to-end e-documents and AI-based ETA predictions with 95% accuracy. 

The carrier also deployed remote machinery-health monitoring across its ULCV fleet, allowing predictive maintenance to reduce unscheduled downtime. 

ONE has signed memoranda for four 16,000 TEU methanol-fuelled vessels due in 2026 and is trialling biofuel bunkers on key intra-Asia loops. The line participates in the Sea Cargo Charter, reporting its annual CO₂ intensity.

5. Hapag-Lloyd AG

• Headquarters: Hamburg, Germany
• Total TEU capacity: 2,352,976
• Number of vessels: 300
• Market share: 7.4%
• Alliance: Gemini

Hapag-Lloyd’s roots reach back to mid-19th-century Germany, when two pioneering passenger and cargo lines set sail. 

Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt-Actien-Gesellschaft (HAPAG) was founded in 1847 to carry emigrants and mail between Hamburg and New York, initially under sail before launching its first steamship, Borussia, in 1856. 

In Bremen, Norddeutscher Lloyd (NDL) commenced transatlantic service in 1858 with its steamship Bremen, establishing a great reputation for speed. 

Both companies built some of the grandest ocean liners of their era. HAPAG’s Imperator (1912) and Vaterland (1913) each exceeded 50,000 gross register tons, while NDL’s Bremen set the Blue Riband for fastest Atlantic crossing in 1929.

The two rivals suffered world-war losses and post-conflict rebuilding before cooperating on containerisation in the late 1960s. Their first dedicated boxship, Weser Express, entered service in 1968 with 728-TEU capacity. 

In September 1970, HAPAG and NDL formally merged under the Hapag-Lloyd banner, pooling fleets, staff, and networks to become Germany’s leading liner operator. Through the 70s and 80s, the carrier steadily modernised its tonnage, introducing Panamax and neoPanamax vessels to keep pace with expanding global trade.

Hapag-Lloyd has grown by strategic acquisition and alliance-building. The purchase of CP Ships in 2005 vaulted it into the world’s top five by capacity, adding 110 vessels and new North Atlantic and Asia–Europe loops. 

A 2014 merger with Chile’s CSAV container arm further broadened its Latin American network, and the 2017 integration of United Arab Shipping Company strengthened its Middle East and Indian-subcontinent services. 

Alongside these deals, Hapag-Lloyd invested in flagship vessels: its Hamburg Express class of 15,000 TEU ships delivered from 2017 improved fuel efficiency, while in 2023 the Berlin Express entered service as the largest container ship flying the German flag at 23,664 TEU.

Throughout its nearly 175-year history, Hapag-Lloyd has transformed from a pair of 19th-century emigrant carriers into a modern, integrated container shipping powerhouse.

4. COSCO Shipping Lines (COSCO)

• Headquarters: Shanghai, China
• Total TEU capacity: 3,351,669
• Number of vessels: 519
• Market share: 10.6%
• Alliance: Ocean Alliance

COSCO’s container-shipping journey began in December 1961 with the founding of the China Ocean Shipping Company to manage the nascent People’s Republic’s maritime trades. 

In 1979 the carrier introduced its first purpose-built boxship, COSCO Guangzhou, on the Shanghai–Sydney run, China’s initial direct container link to the Southern Hemisphere. During the 1980s and 1990s, COSCO expanded its domestic feeder network and acquired Panamax tonnage to serve fast-growing East–West routes.

In February 2016, COSCO Container Lines merged with China Shipping Container Lines to forge today’s unified COSCO Shipping Lines brand, consolidating fleets and terminals to boost capacity by 800,000 TEU.

Just two years later, the landmark acquisition of Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) added 139 vessels, among them the 21,237 TEU OOCL Hong Kong, then the world’s largest boxship.

COSCO has shored up its global network through terminal investments and digitalisation. The line holds equity in Piraeus (Greece), Valencia (Spain) and Khalifa Port (UAE), enabling priority berth access and stevedoring capacity for its vessels. 

In 2021, the introduction of the COSCO e-Logistics platform unified online booking, track-and-trace and customs e-filing, cutting documentation lead times. Joint ventures with local port operators in Busan and Shanghai have improved hinterland connections and intermodal throughput.

The carrier was among the first Chinese lines to retrofit scrubbers on its post-Panamax fleet in advance of IMO 2020 sulphur caps. It has trialled biofuel blends on select Universe-class vessels, and offers shore-power “cold ironing” at terminals in Shanghai and Rotterdam. 

Through its Belt and Road maritime corridors, COSCO now channels over 1 million TEU of ecommerce cargo annually.  

3. CMA CGM Group

• Headquarters: Marseille, France
• Total TEU capacity: 3,875,593
• Number of vessels: 664
• Market share: 12.7%
• Alliance: Ocean Alliance

CMA CGM was established in 1978 when Jacques Saadé launched Compagnie Maritime d’Affrètement (CMA) with a single 1,200 TEU ship on the Bombay–Marseille route. 

In 1986, Compagnie Générale Maritime (CGM) emerged under French state control. An initial alliance with CMA in 1988 acted as a precursor for the 1996 merger that created CMA CGM. 

The newly-formed group ordered a series of Panamax and post-Panamax vessels, boosting capacity and opening direct services to North America, South America and the Far East.

Throughout the 2000s, CMA CGM grew rapidly through acquisition. In 2005, it absorbed Delmas, adding 28 vessels and deepening its West Africa network. Over the next decade it integrated CNC Line, Mercosul Line and ANL, before the 2016 takeover of Neptune Orient Lines, which added 40 boxships and dozens of container terminals into the fleet. These acquisitions expanded CMA CGM’s gateway reach, from the Panama Canal to the Suez.

In 2010 the 13,800 TEU CMA CGM Columbus became one of the first Triple-E class rivals, featuring a wide beam for lower energy consumption. 

The 2015-built CMA CGM Christophe Colombe (13,500 TEU) introduced a hull-form optimised for slow steaming, while the 20,600 TEU CMA CGM Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (2018) used Mistral wind-assist technology and brick-red paint that improved antifouling performance. 

The 23,112 TEU CMA CGM Jacques Saadé, delivered in 2020, is the group’s largest LNG-dual-fuel carrier.

CMA CGM launched its e-Business Suite in 2012. Continuously improved through partnerships with IBM and Microsoft, it integrates booking, e-bill of lading, track-and-trace and customs-clearance in a single portal. 

Environmental projects date back to 2011’s diesel-electric hybrid retrofits on feeder vessels. By 2023, over 60 ships had received advanced air-lubrication systems, waste-heat recovery units or selective catalytic reduction for NOx control.

CMA CGM spans terminal operations, inland logistics, and freight forwarding, anchoring France at the heart of world trade.

2. A.P. Moller – Maersk

• Headquarters: Copenhagen, Denmark
• Total TEU capacity: 4,536,588
• Number of vessels: 735
• Market share: 14.3%
• Alliance: Gemini

A.P. Moller – Maersk began as a small family shipping firm founded by Peter Mærsk-Møller in 1904. 

The group focused on tramp and tanker operations for much of the 20th century, gradually building expertise in global liner services. Containerisation came to Maersk in 1976, when it chartered its first purpose-built boxship, the Danmark, for the transatlantic route. 

In 1980, it ordered its maiden fleet of eight 2,800 TEU vessels to deliver weekly Asia–Europe sailings, part of Maersk Line’s transformation into a container-centric business.

Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Maersk grew through targeted acquisitions and flagship vessel orders. The 2005 merger with P&O Nedlloyd added 170 ships and improved Maersk’s network in the Mediterranean, Latin America and West Africa. 

In 2006 Maersk took delivery of Emma Mærsk, then the world’s largest container ship at 15,500 TEU, with a record-breaking 62-metre beam and state-of-the-art fuel-efficient engines. 

Subsequent Triple E-class vessels, each capable of 18,000 TEU, entered service from 2013, with an environmentally-friendly design that slashed CO₂ emissions per box by over 20%.

The acquisition of Hamburg Süd in 2017 added 124 vessels and strong trade-lane expertise in South America and the Caribbean.

Onshore, the purchase of Damco in 2005 (later integrated into Maersk’s end-to-end logistics arm) and stakes in ports from Tangier to Los Angeles have given the group control over key gateways. 

The “Maersk Line Online” portal launched in 2000, evolving into the cloud-native Maersk Spot booking system by 2021, to offer instant rate confirmation and guaranteed loading.

In 2019 the group unveiled the world’s first carbon-neutral shipping option, offsetting bunker emissions on selected trades. 

In 2023, Maersk launched its first methanol powered ship, LAURA MAERSK. Maersk currently has 16 vessels in its dual fuel methanol fleet, with additional vessels on order.

In 2024, it retrofitted MAERSK HALIFAX to a dual fuel methanol engine.

From a one-vessel charter on the Atlantic to a 735-ship network, A.P. Moller–Maersk is a key figure in shaping the modern container shipping era.

1. Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)

• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Total TEU capacity: 6,408,597
• Number of vessels: 889
• Market share: 20.2%
• Alliance: Independent

Mediterranean Shipping Company was founded in 1970 by Gianluigi Aponte as a small tramp operator carrying general cargo and bananas between the Mediterranean and West Africa. 

Within five years, MSC had entered the nascent container market, leasing its first three 630 TEU vessels to serve the North–South trades. The 1980s saw the acquisition of Sealand, Maersk’s former U.S. domestic subsidiary, giving MSC direct entry to the Gulf of Mexico and transatlantic routes. 

MSC grew throughout the 1990s and 2000s, absorbing companies such as CMA’s Compagnie Maritime Marfret and forming partnerships in Latin America and East Africa.

By the mid-2010s, MSC had become the world’s largest container line by capacity. Its ultra-large vessel programme launched in 2014 with the MSC Oscar class, the first quartet of 19,224 TEU ships built to a 59-metre beam, which set new benchmarks for economies of scale. 

The MSC Tessa (24,116 TEU), Loreto (24,232 TEU) and Irina (24,188 TEU) have reinforced MSC’s status at the forefront of ship size.

As an independent carrier, MSC eschews formal alliances, instead leveraging a proprietary slot-exchange network and more than 500 weekly port calls.

Through its terminal division, MSC Terminal Investments, MSC holds equity stakes in major gateways, including Gothenburg, Piraeus, and Tangier. 

On the digital front, MSC for me (2021) provides booking, tracking, customs pre-filing and billing in a single portal, raising online adoption. Environmental commitments include retrofitting 120 vessels with exhaust gas cleaning systems, investing in biofuel trials on Asia–Europe loops, and partnering with ports in Rotterdam and Algeciras to roll out shore-power “cold ironing.”

In their 50-year history, MSC has far surpassed the TEU capabilities of its kin, to create a business that shows no signs of being usurped. 

Shipping container consultancy services at Brookes Bell

Container shipping has transformed the way we transport goods, but containers and their vessels can still be subject to various issues, from the spoilage of goods to corrosion, container stack collapse and more.

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