The shipping market is always fluctuating and fiercely competitive. To help you grasp the “giants” dominating this industry, here is a list of the 5 biggest shipping companies in the world in 2024, along with noteworthy information about their scale, market share, and services.
Top 1 – Mediterranean Shipping Company SA (MSC)
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Mediterranean Shipping Company SA, known commercially as MSC, is an international shipping company founded by Gianluigi Aponte Italy in 1970. The company is family-owned by the Aponte family and has been headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, since 1978.
As of July 2024, Mediterranean Shipping Company SA (MSC) is the largest shipping company in the world, in terms of fleet size and cargo capacity, controlling 20% of the global container capacity.
In March 2023, the company broke the record for the world’s largest container ship twice in a row, receiving the 24,116 TEU MSC Tessa on March 10 and the 24,345 TEU MSC Irina on March 13.
MSC operates up to 846 vessels with a total capacity exceeding 6 million TEU.
Top 2 – Maersk Line
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Maersk Line is an international container shipping company from Denmark and the largest subsidiary of Maersk, a Danish conglomerate. Established in 1928, it is the world’s second-largest container shipping company in fleet size and cargo capacity, offering regular services to 374 ports in 116 countries.
In 2019, the company employed 83,625 people, including 18,398 ship crews and 65,227 employees managing and operating at offices and ports.
By 2024, Maersk Line’s global market share was 14.6%, operating over 713 vessels with a total capacity of around 4.3 million TEU.
Top 3 – CMA-CGM
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CMA CGM S.A. is a French shipping and container transportation company founded in 1978. It is the largest shipping company in France and the third-largest in the world, operating 257 shipping routes between 420 ports across 160 countries.
As of 2024, this container shipping company holds a 12.5% global market share, operating 646 vessels with a total capacity of 3.7 million TEU.
Top 4 – COSCO
The China Ocean Shipping Group, also known as COSCO or COSCO Group, provides transportation and logistics services. It is a state-owned enterprise under the People’s Republic of China. COSCO’s headquarters are located in Ocean Plaza, Xicheng, Beijing.
COSCO is also the world’s largest carrier for bulk and dry cargo (agricultural products) in both China and globally.
Currently, COSCO is the fourth-largest shipping company in the world, with a 10.8% market share, operating 507 vessels with a total capacity of 3.2 million TEU.
Top 5 – Hapag-Lloyd
Hapag-Lloyd AG is the largest container shipping and international transportation company in Germany and the fifth-largest in the world, holding a 7% global market share.
Founded in 1970, the company operates 400 offices in 137 countries, employs 14,300 people, and operates 287 vessels with a total capacity of 2.1 million TEU.
Container Shipping Alliances (according to Alphaliner)
The largest alliance, 2M (MSC (1- number 1 in the world) and Maersk (2)), will end in 2025.
By then, Ocean Alliance (CMA-CGM (3), COSCO (4), Evergreen (7), and OOCL (owned by COSCO)) will be the largest alliance, holding a 29.10% market share under current conditions.
The new Gemini Cooperation alliance, between Maersk and Hapag Lloyd (5), starting in February 2025, will hold a 21.6% market share, becoming the second-largest global alliance.
The Premier Alliance, consisting of ONE (6), YML (9), and HMM (8), will shrink to an 11.6% market share.
To date, MSC – the largest carrier – still operates independently, commanding a 19.9% global market share.
Non-alliance carriers include ZIM (10), with a 2.3% market share, which will increase the overall market share of the non-allied group to 17.8%.
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