Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has reached a new milestone, with its fleet surpassing 7 million TEU. The Geneva-based carrier now operates 7,002,757 TEU, according to Alphaliner.
MSC’s orderbook adds more than 2 million TEU, further expanding its capacity. The company’s fleet alone is now larger than the combined fleets of the Gemini Cooperation, which includes Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd. It also surpasses the combined fleets of the Premier Alliance members, including Yang Ming, HMM, and ONE.
Last week, MSC acquired the 2007-built, 3,534 TEU vessel Newnew Star 2 from Chinese owner Hainan Yangpu Newnew Shipping. The ship will be renamed MSC Rabat IV. This purchase marks one of roughly 400 secondhand vessels MSC has acquired in the 2020s, helping the company reach the 7 million TEU milestone.
MSC has tripled in size over the past decade through a mix of newbuilds and secondhand acquisitions. At the start of 2022, the company became the world’s largest container liner, surpassing Maersk, which had led for over 25 years.
The company’s growth has also made Switzerland one of the top ship-owning countries. VesselsValue ranked Switzerland ninth in total asset value, thanks largely to MSC’s container and cruise fleets.
