The global container fleet continues to expand rapidly—according to Alphaliner, the total volume of vessels on order has exceeded 10 million TEU for the first time in history. Industry leaders are actively expanding capacity, with Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and South Korea’s HMM particularly notable, having reached significant milestones in their growth strategies.
MSC became the first shipping line in the world to surpass the 7 million TEU mark in total fleet capacity. This is almost 50% more than its closest competitor, Maersk. Over the past five years, MSC has acquired approximately 400 vessels, primarily on the used market, and currently has a fleet capacity of 7,002,757 TEU, of which 4.2 million TEU are owned and another 2.2 million TEU are on order. Notably, this record was achieved through the purchase of a 20-year-old, 3,500 TEU vessel from a Chinese owner.
HMM, in turn, joined the elite club of carriers with a fleet of over 1 million TEU, fulfilling its five-year development plan. The company, the first in the world to launch the 24,000-ton HMM Algeciras class, now has 1,007,180 TEU and expects to add another 200,000 TEU. Despite the uncertainty in global trade, Alphaliner notes that 2025 will be a record year for the industry: August alone saw peak container handling volumes, and shipyards in China and South Korea continue to operate at capacity, laying the groundwork for further global fleet growth.