Based on VesselsValue data, analyst Rebecca Galanopoulos analyzed the global container fleet and found that Swiss shipping giant Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) owns the world’s most valuable container fleet, valued at $49.6 billion.
In terms of fleet size, MSC also leads the industry with a total of 707 vessels, comprising 584 active vessels and 125 vessels under construction. The vast majority of this fleet is deployed in container shipping, with Panamax and post-Panamax vessels accounting for approximately 50% of this sector.
In terms of new vessel orders, MSC has placed heavy bets on ultra-large container vessels, which account for about 59% of orders, while the remaining orders are concentrated on new Panamax vessels.
Ranked second is France’s CMA CGM, with a fleet valued at $35.5 billion comprising 339 vessels, nearly all deployed in container shipping. CMA CGM currently operates 243 vessels, ranging from feeder container ships to ultra-large container vessels. An additional 95 vessels are under construction, with ultra-large container vessels accounting for approximately 53%, New Panamax vessels for about 34%, and the remaining 13% comprising post-Panamax vessels.
This year, container vessel values have risen across most sub-sectors and age groups, with older vessels seeing particularly significant increases. For instance, the value of a 15-year-old feeder container vessel in the 2,500 TEU class has climbed from $26.4 million to $31.67 million since the start of the year, representing a 19.96% increase.