The  container charter market  in  2025  is on track to become the best year since the  COVID-19 pandemic, as rates remain at “very healthy” levels for all classes of vessels, according to  Alphaliner .

“ The container charter market is ending 2025 on a sustained upward note , with high demand showing no signs of slowing, while charter rates remain at very healthy levels for all classes of vessels,” the consultancy said.

“Given that this trend is not expected to change in the coming weeks, it is safe to say that 2025 will be the strongest year the market has enjoyed outside of the post-COVID-19 freight boom years ,” he added.

Despite an unprecedented level of disruption and uncertainty at the political, geopolitical and macroeconomic levels around the world, the market has shown “remarkable resilience during the year, overcoming most of the challenges it had to face,” the entity emphasized.

“US tariffs, port fees, instability in the Middle East, the situation in Ukraine, as well as falling freight rates and the uninterrupted flow of new ship deliveries, have been obstacles that the market has successfully overcome,” he remarked.

Despite the above, there were also tailwinds, as “the detours around the Cape of Good Hope continued to be a blessing in disguise, since the much greater sailing distances on a typical voyage from Asia to the Atlantic basin helped to absorb a large number of vessels that would otherwise have been unwanted,” Alphaliner pointed out.

“Stronger-than-expected cargo volumes, particularly on North-South and regional trade routes, also helped to mitigate any risk of overcapacity. As a result of this high demand, tonnage supply was adjusted throughout 2025, despite a steady influx of new vessel deliveries and negligible scrapping volumes,” he added.

In its latest count of vessels in the spot charter market, Alphaliner sees only two ships currently idle worldwide, an all-time low . Similarly, figures for commercially idle tonnage continue to evolve at record lows, with the container ship fleet considered “fully employed.”

“The year 2026 should see a large-scale return of container shipping traffic through the Suez Canal. While the disruptions such a move will cause in the short term have the potential to boost tonnage demand, the long term looks bleak, with shorter sailing distances expected to make a substantial number of vessels redundant,” Alphaliner stated.

“In addition, 1.4 million TEUs of new shipbuilding capacity will enter service. Some might argue that this isn’t much considering the 3 and 4 million TEUs of new builds expected in 2027 and 2028. However, this will contribute to swelling a fleet that is likely already in oversupply mode due to the reopening of the Suez Canal. This combination could be toxic and put both freight and charter rates under significant pressure, unless cargo volumes continue to surprise, as they did in 2025,” he concluded.

With information from  Portal Portuario , a media outlet specializing in ports and maritime transport in Chile.

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In a market experiencing a slowdown, with pressured tariffs and erratic demand, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has reached a milestone that confirms its dominance in global maritime transport: surpassing the seven million twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) fleet capacity mark , according to a report by Alphaliner . The Swiss-Italian shipping company is not only consolidating its position as the world’s largest container carrier, but also redefining the scale of competitiveness in an industry characterized by oversupply and fragmented alliances.

The achievement was solidified with the almost simultaneous delivery of two 16,000 TEU Neo-Panamax vessels: the MSC Salerno, built by Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company (DSIC), and the MSC Grace, from the Yangzijiang Shipyard (YZJ). With these additions, MSC became the first container shipping line to reach a total capacity of seven million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a figure that illustrates the breakneck pace of its expansion. It took only 15 months to go from six to seven million TEUs, a growth rate that few players in the recent history of the sector have managed to sustain in such a short time.

The driving force behind this expansion came not from corporate acquisitions or operational alliances, but from organic growth through new construction. During this period, the company added 68 new vessels, equivalent to an additional 799,000 TEUs. This figure reflects the magnitude of its vertical integration strategy: while other shipping companies are slowing their orders due to falling freight rates and geopolitical tensions, MSC continues to invest in a more modern, diverse, and energy-efficient fleet, aiming to dominate the main interoceanic routes.

A revealing indicator of MSC’s new growth profile is the composition of its recent fleet. According to Alphaliner, since surpassing the six million TEU mark, it has not acquired any “Megamax” class vessels, the giants exceeding 23,000 TEU. Instead, its focus has been on the so-called “NPX” vessels—Neo-Panamax ships of 14,000 and 16,000 TEU—of which it has added 33 units. This decision is not accidental: it stems from an operational strategy that prioritizes flexibility and efficiency on routes that do not depend on the Suez Canal or ports with draft limitations. In this sense, diversification gives MSC a tactical capacity to adapt to scenarios of congestion, closures, or diversions, such as those that have characterized post-pandemic maritime trade.

Another area of ​​expansion has been the chartering market. In the last fifteen months, the company has signed more than 50 vessel charter agreements, although approximately half of these are extensions of previous agreements, making them capacity-neutral. However, some 25 new vessels—equivalent to 135,000 TEU—have been added through fresh charter contracts , reinforcing secondary routes and regional services where MSC has found sustainable profit margins. This move demonstrates the company’s ability to combine ownership and leasing with a market-driven approach that seeks to capitalize on low tonnage availability without compromising its financial flexibility.

The other source of growth comes from the second-hand market. During the same period, MSC and its affiliated entities acquired more than 250,000 TEUs of used vessels. Although many of these were already operating under charter agreements, the decision to purchase them consolidates operational control and eliminates dependence on third parties during volatile periods. This strategy aligns with its long-term vision: acquiring strategic assets when the market cycle favors low prices, thereby maintaining a homogeneous and controllable fleet, ready to reposition itself in response to changes in demand or environmental regulations.

MSC’s meteoric growth is not only symbolic—being the first shipping company to break the seven million TEU barrier—but also introduces structural tension into the global market. Its expansion rate is double that of its immediate competitors and increases the pressure on alliances such as Gemini Cooperation, Ocean Alliance, and Premier Alliance , which face a forced reconfiguration due to the fragmentation of interests and the end of major cooperative agreements. By expanding its capacity organically, MSC positions itself to negotiate from a position of strength, control larger service quotas, and potentially redefine the tariff structure on key routes.

However, this growth also raises critical questions about sustainability and market equilibrium. In a context where global demand for maritime transport is growing slowly and inventories are adjusting due to nearshoring , such aggressive expansion could exacerbate the overcapacity already putting pressure on rates. MSC seems aware of this, but its strategy suggests a long-term approach: consolidating its fleet while construction costs are competitive, renewing vessels to cleaner standards, and preparing the ground for a future market reorganization.

MSC’s achievement encapsulates a decade of strategic accumulation: organic growth, sustained investment, asset control, and a keen understanding of maritime cycles. But it also reflects an ambitious vision that doesn’t settle for simply dominating the present, but seeks to shape the rules of the future. In a sector where scale defines survival, MSC is not just expanding its fleet: it’s expanding its power to influence routes, prices, and ultimately, the very pace of global trade.

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The global container transportation market is facing a new capacity crisis, originating in the Far East, which has driven up maritime freight prices.

Since last week, various freight forwarder firms have been alerting their clients to the lack of availability of empty equipment in China, a country where one-third of global manufacturing takes place, a situation prompted by port congestions in Singapore, India, and Bangladesh.

“Overall congestion worldwide has further increased, to 2.10 million TEUs (20-foot containers), and further deterioration is expected as disruptions in sailing schedules at various Asian ports are causing vessels to pile up at downstream ports,” stated LINERLYTICA, a market intelligence firm focused on the container transportation industry.

Public data provided by this company reports that as of June 1 of this year, the port of Singapore has a total of 53 vessels anchored with 367,969 TEUs detained; followed by Shanghai/Ningbo (China) with 54 ships in line and 321,255; while the port of Klang (Malaysia) had 22 vessels and 109,709 TEUs waiting to be serviced.

“Congestion is expected to worsen in June, forcing operators to secure new containers and charter ships well into September, with rate increases scheduled for June 1 and 15. Asian ports are the most affected, with Southeast Asia accounting for 26% and Northeast Asia for 23% of global bottlenecks. Congestion in Singapore affects service reliability, raising container prices from China soon,” indicated Eternity Group Mexico, in a statement addressed to its clients.

This capacity crisis comes at a time when the world’s top 10 shipping lines expect delivery of just over 5.2 million containers in the coming months, according to data provided by Alphaliner, another maritime sector data intelligence firm.

Meanwhile, the SCFI (Shanghai Containerized Freight Index), a global benchmark indicator for maritime freight, extended its uptrend for the ninth consecutive week, rising 13% last week, while cumulative gains since late March reached 76% with no signs of imminent reversal.

As for maritime freight on the trade route between Asia and the West Coast of Latin America, having started in a range between $2,500 per FEU (40-foot container), it has accelerated its growth pace and by the end of last May was already around $5,000, reminiscent of the levels it reached during the pandemic.

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El cargo New Capacity Crisis for Global Supply Chains apareció primero en T21.

The global container transportation market is facing a new capacity crisis, originating in the Far East, which has pushed maritime freight prices higher.

Since last week, various freight forwarder firms have been alerting their clients about the lack of availability of empty equipment in China, a country where one-third of global manufacturing takes place. This situation is motivated by port congestion in Singapore, India, and Bangladesh.

“Overall congestion worldwide has further increased to 2.10 million TEUs (20-foot containers), and further deterioration is expected as disruptions in sailing schedules at various Asian ports are causing vessels to pile up at downstream ports,” stated LINERLYTICA, a market intelligence firm focused on the container transportation industry.

Public data from this company reports that as of June 1 of this year, the port of Singapore has a total of 53 anchored ships with 367,969 TEUs detained, followed by Shanghai/Ningbo (China) with 54 ships in line and 321,255; while the port of Klang (Malaysia) had 22 ships and 109,709 TEUs waiting to be serviced.

“Congestion is expected to worsen in June, forcing operators to procure new containers and charter ships until beyond September, with rate hikes expected on June 1 and 15. Asian ports are the most affected, with Southeast Asia accounting for 26% and Northeast Asia 23% of global bottlenecks. Congestion in Singapore affects service reliability, thereby raising container prices from China soon,” stated Eternity Group Mexico in a statement addressed to its clients.

This capacity crisis comes at a time when the world’s top 10 shipping lines expect delivery of just over 5.2 million containers in the coming months, according to data provided by Alphaliner, another maritime sector data intelligence firm.

Meanwhile, the SCFI (Shanghai Containerized Freight Index), a global benchmark indicator for maritime freight, extended its rally for the ninth consecutive week, rising 13% last week, while cumulative gains since late March reached 76% with no signs of an imminent reversal.

As for maritime freight on the trade route between Asia and the West Coast of Latin America, having started in a range between $2,500 per FEU (40-foot container), its growth rate has accelerated, reaching around $10,000 by the end of last May, reminiscent of levels reached during the pandemic.

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