by Lloyd's List
4 December 2024 (Lloyd's List) - CMA CGM, Maersk, and Cosco Shipping are engaged in a tight competition for the top spot on the critical Asia-North America trade lane, according to Alphaliner’s data.
The French, Danish and Chinese carriers held the top three spots as of November this year with between 12.9-13.2% market share each on the route, which has seen capacity grow 4.2% year-on-year.
CMA CGM regained the No.1 position from Maersk, which overtook its rival in November 2023 thanks to extra sailings. Now Maersk is a close second, accounting for 13.1% of the transpacific capacity.
Cosco Shipping also remains firmly in contention for the lead, coming in a tight third place. The top trio control over 39% of the total market share on this trade between them.
Their rivalry for supremacy comes as carriers deploy larger newbuilding ships and add sailings to serve increased demand, partly driven by the strong US economy and the fallout from Red Sea rerouting.
Beyond the big three, other major players on the route also include CMA CGM and Cosco Shipping’s fellow Ocean Alliance members Evergreen, which gradually introduced its new 15,000-teu class newbuildings and increase its share to around 11%.
That led to Ocean boasting 36.7% combined market share as of November. Meanwhile, rival The Alliance also grew share through upgrades and new tonnage.
That said, two carriers outside the alliances, Wan Hai Lines and Zim, became the fastest growing players on the Transpacific trade over the past year, with capacity increasing by 39.3% and 24.1% respectively. This underscores how smaller carriers have capitalised on opportunities amid rising volumes.
Total transpacific capacity hit 5.4m teu in November across 562 vessels, claiming 17% of the global cellular fleet, second only to Asia-Europe, according to Alphaliner. However, carrier rankings differ from their overall fleet size positions.
For example, Mediterranean Shipping Co - the world's largest carrier - ranked just 6th on Asia-North America in November after reducing capacity by around 20%. But the carrier is expected to boost its presence from February 2024 through its new service network.
