The Container Shipping industry evolve rapidly, with major carriers reshaping alliances, trade patterns, and port utilization. Alphaliner’s August reports highlight key developments in the Transatlantic, Far East, and US West Coast markets, as well as niche trends in specialized vessels.
MSC Retains Transatlantic Leadership Despite Alliance Reshuffle
Alphaliner’s Transatlantic review in early August offered the first detailed assessment since February’s alliance shake-up, when MSC launched a standalone network, and Maersk partnered with Hapag-Lloyd under the Gemini Cooperation.
MSC remained the largest Transatlantic carrier, slightly increasing its share from 41.1% in July 2024 to 41.8% in July 2025. The carrier now deploys over 500,000 TEU on westbound services from Europe and the Mediterranean to North America.
Hapag-Lloyd held the second spot with 14.9% of the market, down from 19.6% last year, while Maersk increased its share from 8.9% to 14.4%, narrowing the gap with Hapag-Lloyd.
Alphaliner’s calculations were based on fleet sizes operating on the Atlantic, focusing on westbound connections, which strongly influence market share metrics.
COSCO Group Dominates Far East–India/Middle East/Red Sea Trade
In the Far East–India Subcontinent/Middle East/Red Sea corridor, COSCO Group continued to lead, leveraging the OCEAN Alliance and deploying Megamax vessels for high-capacity services.
COSCO Group (COSCO SHIPPING + OOCL) commands 12.7% of total slot capacity, with 250,000 TEU deployed. MSC and CMA CGM follow with 8.8% and 8.5% respectively.
Despite global prominence, Maersk operates only 4% of slots (ranked ninth), while Hapag-Lloyd is far behind with 1.6%, highlighting the dominance of Asian carriers on this route.
COSCO is the sole operator of ultra-large ‘Megamax’ vessels on this corridor, averaging 19,000 TEU, showcasing continued investment in mega-ship deployments.
Grimaldi Remains the Last Bastion of Deep-Sea ConRo Vessels
Deep-sea Container-RoRo (ConRo) ships, designed to transport containers, cars, trucks, and project cargo simultaneously, are now largely a niche concept. Since 2023, six new ConRo vessels have entered service, all with the Italian Grimaldi Group.
In the same period, 942 container ships were added, totaling 6.4 MTEU, dwarfing ConRo additions of 12,942 TEU. Grimaldi’s ‘G5’ vessels, built by HD Hyundai Mipo, feature cellular holds below deck and target West and Central African trade, marking a significant evolution from previous G3 and G4 classes.
US West Coast Ports Regain Momentum
Port throughput patterns indicate a notable shift back to the US West Coast, as congestion eases and geopolitical events affect East Coast trade. Los Angeles/Long Beach throughput grew 7.5% in H1 2025 to 9.7 MTEU, the highest Jan–June figure since 2022.
The US East Coast port of New York/New Jersey recorded a 4.9% increase to 4.4 MTEU.
Malaysia’s Tanjung Pelepas saw a 15.4% increase due to the Gemini Cooperation headhaul strategy, while Hamburg rebounded with a 9.3% gain in throughput, driven by Far East and Baltic trade growth.
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