The global container shipping fleet continues to expand at a record pace, with Alphaliner reporting that the industry’s total orderbook has now exceeded 10 million TEU: the largest in history. While every major carrier increased capacity this year, MSC and HMM have reached major milestones in their growth strategies.
According to Alphaliner’s latest Top 100 rankings, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has become the first carrier to exceed 7 million TEU of total capacity. The figure makes MSC’s fleet roughly 50% larger than that of Maersk, the world’s second-biggest line.
When MSC overtook Maersk in early 2022, its capacity stood at around 4.3 million TEU. Much of the subsequent growth has come from the second-hand vessel market rather than newbuildings, with Alphaliner estimating that MSC has acquired about 400 ships over the past five years.
The latest addition that pushed the carrier past the milestone was not a new mega-vessel but a 3,500 TEU ship built nearly two decades ago and purchased from a Chinese owner. With this vessel, MSC’s total capacity now stands at 7,002,757 TEU, of which around 4.2 million TEU is owned. Alphaliner calculates a further 2.2 million TEU of capacity on order.
HMM reaches 1 million TEU
South Korea’s HMM has also achieved a symbolic milestone, joining the group of global carriers with more than 1 million TEU of capacity. The company had set this goal as part of a five-year growth plan launched in the early 2020s.
HMM was the first to introduce 24,000 TEU-class vessels, starting with HMM Algeciras and her eleven sister ships, and has since added several new classes ranging from 7,500 TEU to 16,000 TEU.
Its current capacity stands at 1,007,180 TEU, with another 200,000 TEU on order, according to Alphaliner. The ship that took HMM past the milestone was the 10,000 TEU Seaspan Brightness, built in 2014 and chartered as part of a five-vessel deal.
Global fleet expansion continues
Despite uncertainties around trade policies and tariffs, Alphaliner describes 2025 as a boom year for the container sector. August saw the highest monthly TEU throughput ever recorded, while shipyards in China and South Korea continue to fill their orderbooks.
China currently accounts for nearly 7.4 million TEU of capacity under construction, while South Korean yards hold just over 2 million TEU.
In the first half of 2025, Hapag-Lloyd and COSCO Shipping recorded the largest percentage capacity increases among the top ten carriers. Every leading line added ships in the first six months of the year and has additional orders pending.
Among the largest orderbooks, CMA CGM has around 1.7 million TEU of new capacity on order, COSCO close to 1.2 million TEU, and MSC remains the industry’s most aggressive buyer.
Even with a wave of vessel scrapping expected in coming years, the data indicate that the world’s major carriers are preparing for continued long-term growth in container shipping.
