Profiles of the World's Major Shipping Lines
1. Global Carrier Rankings (2025)
| Rank | Carrier | Code | Fleet Capacity | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mediterranean Shipping Company | MSC | ~6.0 million TEU | Geneva, Switzerland |
| 2 | Maersk Line | MSK | ~4.3 million TEU | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| 3 | CMA CGM | CMA | ~3.8 million TEU | Marseille, France |
| 4 | COSCO Shipping | COSCO | ~3.2 million TEU | Shanghai, China |
| 5 | Hapag-Lloyd | HPL | ~2.0 million TEU | Hamburg, Germany |
| 6 | Ocean Network Express | ONE | ~1.9 million TEU | Tokyo, Japan |
| 7 | Evergreen Marine | EMC | ~1.7 million TEU | Taipei, Taiwan (China) |
| 8 | HMM | HMM | ~0.8 million TEU | Seoul, South Korea |
| 9 | Yang Ming Marine | YML | ~0.7 million TEU | Taipei, Taiwan (China) |
| 10 | ZIM Integrated Shipping | ZIM | ~0.6 million TEU | Haifa, Israel |
2. Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)
Key Facts
- Full name: Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A.
- Code: MSC
- Founded: 1970
- Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
- Founder: Gianluigi Aponte
- Fleet capacity: ~6.0 million TEU (world No. 1)
- Fleet size: 800+ vessels
Milestones
- 1970: Founded in Naples, Italy; first vessel named Patricia
- 1978: Headquarters moved to Geneva, Switzerland
- 1985: Entered container shipping
- 1996: Entered the China market, launching the first "SILK" service
- 2015: Launched MSC Oscar, then the world's largest container ship (19,224 TEU)
- 2019: Took delivery of the 23,000-TEU class MSC Gülsün
- 2023: Overtook Maersk to become the world's largest carrier
- 2025: The 2M Alliance formally ended; MSC began operating independently
Route Strengths
- Europe trades: Strong Mediterranean and North Europe services
- Africa trades: Market leader following the acquisition of Bolloré Africa Logistics
- Latin America trades: A traditional strength
- Asia trades: Deep, comprehensive coverage of the China market
Service Characteristics
- Large fleet with ample slot availability
- Extensive global network coverage
- Continuously improving digital services (myMSC platform)
- Active investment in terminals and logistics
3. Maersk Line
Key Facts
- Full name: Maersk Line
- Code: MSK
- Founded: 1928
- Headquarters: Copenhagen, Denmark
- Parent company: A.P. Moller – Maersk Group
- Fleet capacity: ~4.3 million TEU (world No. 2)
- Fleet size: 700+ vessels
Milestones
- 1928: Founded and began operations
- 1999: Acquired Sea-Land
- 2005: Acquired P&O Nedlloyd
- 2015: Formed the 2M Alliance with MSC
- 2023: Announced that the 2M Alliance would end in 2025
- Transformation: Evolving from a pure shipping line into an integrated logistics provider
Route Strengths
- Europe trades: Traditional strength on North Europe routes
- North America trades: High-quality US East and West Coast services
- Africa trades: Comprehensive West and South Africa coverage
- Integrated logistics: End-to-end supply chain solutions
Service Characteristics
- High schedule reliability and dependable service
- Advanced digitalization (Maersk.com platform)
- Moving into integrated logistics with multimodal offerings
- Strong sustainability focus and investment in green shipping
4. CMA CGM
Key Facts
- Full name: Compagnie Maritime d'Affrètement – Compagnie Générale Maritime
- Code: CMA
- Founded: 1978
- Headquarters: Marseille, France
- Founder: Jacques Saadé
- Fleet capacity: ~3.8 million TEU (world No. 3)
- Fleet size: 600+ vessels
Route Strengths
- France trades: Clear strength in French import/export lanes
- Africa trades: Traditional strength in West and North Africa
- Mediterranean trades: Dense regional network
- Oceania trades: High-quality Australia–New Zealand services
Service Characteristics
- Global route network coverage
- Emphasis on digital innovation
- Active investment in LNG-powered vessels
- Strengthened logistics through the acquisition of CEVA Logistics
5. COSCO Shipping
Key Facts
- Full name: China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited
- Code: COSCO
- Founded: 2016 (merger of COSCO Group and China Shipping Group)
- Headquarters: Shanghai, China
- Fleet capacity: ~3.2 million TEU (world No. 4)
- Fleet size: 500+ vessels
Milestones
- 2016: COSCO Group and China Shipping Group merged to form COSCO Shipping
- 2018: Acquired OOCL (Orient Overseas Container Line)
- 2020: Became the world's third-largest carrier
- Ongoing: Steady expansion of the fleet
Route Strengths
- China trades: Clear strength in China import/export lanes
- Belt and Road: Active on Belt and Road Initiative routes
- Europe trades: High-quality Asia–Europe services
- North America trades: Ample transpacific capacity
Service Characteristics
- China's largest carrier
- Strong state-backed financial foundation
- Active participant in Belt and Road connectivity
- More complete service network following the OOCL acquisition
6. Hapag-Lloyd
Key Facts
- Code: HPL
- Founded: 1970 (merger of Hapag and Norddeutscher Lloyd)
- Headquarters: Hamburg, Germany
- Fleet capacity: ~2.0 million TEU (world No. 5)
- Fleet size: 250+ vessels
Route Strengths
- Europe trades: Traditional strength in North Europe and the Mediterranean
- Latin America trades: High-quality South America services
- North America trades: Comprehensive transatlantic coverage
Service Characteristics
- German quality and reliable service
- Focused on its core container shipping business
- High efficiency and good cost control
7. Ocean Network Express (ONE)
Key Facts
- Full name: Ocean Network Express
- Code: ONE
- Founded: 2017
- Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
- Formed by: The merger of NYK Line, MOL and K Line
- Fleet capacity: ~1.9 million TEU (world No. 6)
- Fleet size: 220+ vessels
Route Strengths
- Asia trades: Clear strength in Japan, China and Southeast Asia
- North America trades: High-quality transpacific services
- Oceania trades: Comprehensive Australia–New Zealand coverage
Service Characteristics
- Born from the merger of Japan's three major shipping lines
- Strong intra-Asia network
- High service quality and good schedule reliability
8. Evergreen Marine
Key Facts
- Code: EMC
- Founded: 1968
- Headquarters: Taipei, Taiwan (China)
- Fleet capacity: ~1.7 million TEU (world No. 7)
- Fleet size: 200+ vessels
Route Strengths
- Asia trades: Clear strength across Taiwan, mainland China and Southeast Asia
- North America trades: High-quality transpacific services
- Europe trades: Ample Asia–Europe capacity
Service Characteristics
- The largest carrier based in Taiwan
- A highly modern fleet
- Active investment in large container vessels
9. Carrier Alliances
Major Alliances (2025)
| Alliance | Member Carriers | Coverage Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2M Alliance | MSC, Maersk | Terminated January 2025 |
| Ocean Alliance | COSCO Shipping, CMA CGM, Evergreen | Asia–Europe, transpacific, transatlantic |
| THE Alliance | Hapag-Lloyd, ONE, HMM, Yang Ming | Asia–Europe, transpacific, transatlantic |
Alliance Trends
- End of 2M: MSC and Maersk ended their cooperation in January 2025
- MSC operating independently: Plans to operate solo, expanding its fleet beyond 7 million TEU
- Reshaping: New alliance relationships may emerge
10. Factors When Choosing a Carrier
1. Route Coverage
- Whether a direct service exists
- Number of transshipments and transit time
- Whether the port rotation meets your needs
2. Service Quality
- Schedule reliability
- Cargo damage rate
- Customer service responsiveness
3. Pricing
- Freight rate levels
- Transparency of surcharges
- Discounts on long-term contracts
4. Digital Capability
- Online booking platforms
- Cargo tracking systems
- Electronic bill of lading services
5. Sustainability
- Investment in green shipping
- Carbon emission control
- Share of eco-friendly vessels
This document was compiled on 2026-03-28.