MSC Achieves Record 19.8% Market Share in Container Shipping, Surpassing Previous High

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has achieved a historic milestone in the container shipping industry, reaching a market share of 19.8%, the highest ever recorded by a carrier, according to Alphaliner's latest data. This surpasses the previous record of 19.4% held by Maersk in 2018. MSC's notable success is attributed to its aggressive fleet expansion, adding approximately 400,000 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU) this year alone.

The container shipping sector has experienced significant shifts in market share among major carriers this year. Notably, Israel's ZIM, Japan's Ocean Network Express (ONE), and Germany's Hapag-Lloyd have all seen increases. ZIM surpassed Taiwan's Yang Ming for the first time since 2011, achieving a market share of 2.4% with a 0.2% increase. ONE's market share grew from 5.9% to 6.4%, and Hapag-Lloyd's share rose from 6.8% to 7.2%.

In contrast, Maersk has experienced a decline in market share despite a temporary boost from the delivery of 25 new vessels. The company's strategic shift towards becoming an end-to-end logistics provider, with a fleet cap of 4.1-4.3 million TEU, has constrained its market share growth compared to competitors like MSC and CMA CGM.

CMA CGM and South Korea's HMM have also recorded slight decreases in market share, while Evergreen and Yang Ming faced more significant declines. Despite these fluctuations, the top 10 carriers continue to dominate the container shipping market, collectively operating 83.9% of the global fleet as of the end of July. Alphaliner's report indicates that the current market conditions represent a new normal following the pandemic-induced surge in shipping rates, during which well-resourced lines expanded their fleets rapidly.