The aggressive strategy of leading shipping companies – fleet expansion and active acquisition of terminal assets – is forcing other players to increase investment. While the global container fleet grew by an average of 1 million TEU annually from 2016 to 2022, over the past three years, the rate has increased to 2.5 million TEU per year. Peak capacity additions are expected in 2027–2028, when the volumes of new container ships could exceed 4 million TEU annually.
However, demand will not be able to fully absorb these volumes, and the industry is already seeing a slowdown in growth. The resumption of full-scale shipping through the Red Sea could dramatically change the situation – the reduction in routes will reduce the need for additional tonnage and increase fleet turnover.
According to Clarksons, traffic through the Suez Canal is gradually recovering: in November, 269 ships passed through each week – about half the pre-crisis level, but significantly higher than the average of 229 ships per week recorded in the first nine months of the year.