Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) ended 2025 with a flurry of activity in the second-hand vessel market, further cementing its position as the world's dominant container line.
Market sources report that the Geneva-based giant acquired at least eight container vessels in December alone, with brokers indicating that additional deals could still emerge.
Alphaliner notes that it is tracking further transactions that are yet to be fully confirmed.
A standout purchase was a 14 700-TEU newbuilding resale from BAL Container Line, reportedly valued at around $170m.
The vessel, currently under construction at China's Jiangnan Shipyard, is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of this year.
This marks the third such resale MSC has secured from BAL, after two similar acquisitions in July 2024. Alphaliner suggests a fourth ship in the series may also head to MSC, although this remains speculative for now.
The carrier was particularly active in the classic panamax segment, picking up five vessels, including the 5 028-TEU Antwerp Bridge, the 4 738-TEU sister ships Beijing Bridge and Grace Bridge, and the 2 754-TEU Port Klang Voyager from Sinokor. The 2005-built Antwerp Bridge (Hyundai Heavy Industries) was originally delivered as Westerbrook to Germany's NOO Reederei H Peterson.
Other acquisitions included the 4 256-TEU Lisa from Idan Ofer's XT Shipping, the similarly sized 4 253-TEU Ts Ningbo from TS Lines, and the 2 824-TEU As Clementina from MPC Container Ships.
This latest buying spree caps a year of robust expansion for MSC.
Alphaliner figures show the carrier added 831 400 TEU in 2025 – representing 39% of the total growth among the top 12 global lines. Its fleet grew by 11.7%, extending the lead over second-placed Maersk to approximately 2.5m TEU, from 1.9m TEU the previous year.
Newbuilding deliveries drove the bulk of the increase, with 54 vessels contributing nearly 700 000 TEU. However, ongoing second-hand purchases have provided crucial flexibility, keeping the group in strong growth mode.
Source: Splash 247.com
