MSC has become the first container carrier to surpass seven million TEU in fleet capacity, while HMM has crossed the one million TEU threshold, reported Fort Lauderdale's Maritime Executive.
MSC's fleet now totals 7,002,757 TEU, according to Alphaliner, with around 4.2 million TEU owned. The milestone was reached with the acquisition of a 3,500 TEU vessel nearly 20 years old, bought from a Chinese owner. The company has added roughly 400 ships from the secondhand market over the past five years.
MSC's capacity is now 50 per cent larger than Maersk's, the second biggest carrier. When MSC became the largest in early 2022, its capacity stood at 4.3 million TEU. Alphaliner estimates MSC has another 2.2 million TEU on order.
HMM has reached 1,007,180 TEU in total capacity, with a further 200,000 TEU on order. The milestone was achieved with the charter of the 10,000 TEU Seaspan Brightness, built in 2014. HMM's growth includes 24,000-TEU vessels and newer classes ranging from 7,500 to 16,000 TEU.
Alphaliner reports August saw the highest monthly TEU volume ever handled. China has orders for nearly 7.4 million TEU, while South Korea has just over two million TEU in the pipeline.
In the first half of 2025, Hapag-Lloyd and COSCO Shipping led capacity growth by percentage. All top 10 carriers added capacity and placed new orders.
CMA CGM has 1.715 million TEU on order, adding to its fleet of just under 4.1 million TEU. COSCO has nearly 1.2 million TEU of new capacity on order. Despite looming vessel retirements, major carriers continue to plan for expansion.
https://www.shippingazette.com/news?news_id=9251100000143
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