The numbers are in — and history has been made.
According to Alphaliner’s latest data (Nov 4 2025), MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company(MSC) has become the first liner operator in history to cross the 7 million TEU capacity milestone.
With a fleet of 7,002,757 TEU and an orderbook exceeding 2 million TEU, the Geneva-based carrier now commands over 21% of total global container capacity — a figure larger than the combined fleets of Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, the two carriers that once led the industry for decades.
In fact, even without counting newbuildings, MSC’s existing fleet alone is bigger than the combined capacity of ONE, HMM, and Yang Ming (the “Premier Alliance”).
From Challenger to Champion
Just three years ago, in early 2022, MSC overtook Maersk to become the world’s largest liner company — ending a 25-year reign at the top. Since then, its rise has been unstoppable.
Through a bold mix of aggressive newbuilding investments and the acquisition of nearly 400 secondhand vessels, MSC has tripled its size in a decade, extending its reach to every major trade lane.
Its most recent purchase — the Newnew Star 2 (3,534 TEU, built 2007) from China’s Hainan Yangpu Newnew Shipping — is the 50th secondhand ship MSC has added this year alone, soon to sail under the name MSC Rabat IV.
The Broader Impact
MSC’s phenomenal growth has not only reshaped the container shipping hierarchy — it has also propelled landlocked Switzerland into the top 10 ship-owning nations worldwide, thanks to MSC’s container and cruise fleets.
From a family business founded by Captain Gianluigi Aponte in 1970 to today’s global giant led by CEO Soren Toft, MSC’s story is one of long-term vision, relentless execution, and belief in scale.
7 million TEU — a figure that once seemed unimaginable.
Today, it stands as a new benchmark for global liner shipping.
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