Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of CMA CGM, has announced the French group’s ambition to become the world’s second-largest container shipping line by the end of 2027, trailing only MSC. This statement coincided with the arrival in France of the first French-flagged container ship with a capacity exceeding 24,000 TEU. Through this move, the company aims to displace Maersk from the number two spot in the global rankings.
CMA CGM’s ambitions are underpinned by a massive fleet renewal program. According to Alphaliner, the company’s orderbook comprises 155 vessels with a total capacity of 1.77 million TEU – the second-largest in the industry after MSC, which has 125 vessels totaling 2.14 million TEU on order. However, CMA CGM’s order mix is more diversified: ultra-large container ships (ranging from 18,000 to 24,000 TEU) account for about a third of the portfolio, including a series of ten 400-meter vessels with capacities exceeding 24,000 TEU. One of these will be the *Notre Dame*, scheduled to join the fleet by the end of 2027. Feeder vessels with capacities of 1,500 to 3,000 TEU also make up a significant share of the orders.
Currently, the gap in total fleet capacity between CMA CGM and Maersk stands at approximately 370,000 TEU, while the Danish company’s orderbook is considerably smaller, comprising 90 vessels with a total capacity of 1.2 million TEU. At the same time, the French group is actively strengthening its position in the logistics sector; the recent acquisition of FedEx Supply Chain for $1.4 billion is set to bolster CMA CGM’s presence in the global transport and logistics market.