The latest fleet survey by Alphaliner shows that Maersk has surpassed COSCO Shipping to become the largest operator in the highly competitive intra-Asia container market—the world’s largest container trade market.
As of mid-August, Maersk had deployed more than 340,000 TEU of capacity on Asian regional routes, representing a year-over-year increase of approximately 34,000 TEU—the highest growth rate among all shipping companies. In terms of vessel count, the fleet totaled 108 vessels, with an average container capacity per vessel of 3,176 TEU, marking the largest average vessel size among major operators on Asian regional routes.
Maersk’s expansion of capacity on Asian regional routes is partly attributable to the “hub-and-spoke” model of the “Gemini Cooperation.” This model leverages a vast Asian feeder network to provide feeder container ship services for its east-west trunk routes.
In contrast, although COSCO Shipping deployed a larger number of container ships (over 120), its deployed capacity remained relatively flat year-over-year, causing it to slip to second place.
As the world’s largest container trade market, data from Alphaliner shows that—excluding domestic routes—the total capacity deployed on intra-Asian international routes stands at just under 2.6 million TEU, a year-on-year increase of 6.2%, with more than 80 shipping companies competing in the market.