CMA CGM wants to become the world’s second-largest container carrier by the end of 2027. Maersk, meanwhile, says its latest batch of 26 newbuildings is only the first step in expanding its fleet. As both groups commit more capital to vessels and explore further megamax projects, the contest for second place is becoming a sustained competition over fleet capacity, delivery schedules and network strength. CMA CGM Chairman and Chief Executive Rodolphe Saadé has set a deadline for overtaking his rival; Maersk Chief Executive Vincent Clerc is preparing more ships to support growth and maintain market share.

Saadé sets a deadline for second place

CMA CGM’s ambition comes with a clear timetable. On 1 July 2026, French business newspaper Les Echos published an interview with Saadé under a headline setting out the group’s aim of becoming the world’s second-largest shipping company by the end of 2027. In The Loadstar’s subsequent account of the interview, Saadé said: “We are aiming to be number-two in the sector by the end of 2027, in terms of container shipping capacity.”

Saadé also outlined the route he intended to take. Shipping would continue to grow organically, while acquisitions would be concentrated in logistics. He expressed confidence in global economic growth, the development of new markets and the cargo available to fill an expanding fleet, while retaining scope to adjust operations if market conditions weakened. New vessel deliveries and fleet management therefore sit at the centre of CMA CGM’s bid for second place, alongside continued investment in terminals and logistics.

The challenge remained prominent through the autumn. In its October coverage of the rivalry, Xinde reported that Saadé had again challenged his teams to become number two in a September video interview with L’Orient-Le Jour. He also discussed further development of the group’s shipping, terminal and logistics businesses. By then, the ranking ambition had become part of a broader programme of continued investment.

Maersk changes the competitive equation

While CMA CGM has been closing the gap, Maersk has been revising its fleet planning. In August 2024, the Danish group said its newbuilding programme would replace ageing ships while maintaining an overall fleet of around 4.3 million TEU. By its second-quarter 2026 earnings call, Clerc was discussing the limits of further efficiency gains from the existing fleet. Protecting Maersk’s market position, he indicated, would require a plan covering both replacement and a degree of fleet growth. Xinde Maritime tracked that change in its September reporting on Maersk’s capacity strategy.

Orders followed. On 18 September, Maersk confirmed 26 containerships of 18,600 TEU, providing 483,600 TEU of nominal capacity, for delivery in 2029 and 2030. Combined with the eight ships of the same capacity ordered at China’s New Times Shipbuilding in February, its two confirmed programmes in 2026 cover 34 vessels and 632,400 TEU. Those commitments give physical substance to the shift towards supporting growth as well as renewing the fleet.

The message became clearer on 5 November. During media interviews following Maersk’s third-quarter results, Clerc described the 26 ships as a “first step” in fleet expansion, according to ShippingWatch. Maersk’s investor presentation also identified fleet investment as a means of capturing growth and linked its investment plans to confidence in longer-term fundamentals. For CMA CGM, this means the fleet it hopes to overtake is itself changing.

Megamax projects bring the rivals closer together

Maersk’s most closely watched prospective programme involves up to 24 LNG-powered containerships of around 24,000 TEU. Alphaliner’s newsletter of 3 November described a proposed initial series of 12 ships with options for another 12. Hudong-Zhonghua had been identified as the leading candidate, while Hengli Heavy Industries and Yangzijiang Shipbuilding had also been involved in discussions. At an estimated US$240 million per ship, the initial series would be worth about US$2.88 billion, rising to US$5.76 billion with all options exercised.

Negotiations remain fluid. Subsequent market reporting suggested pricing could affect Hudong-Zhonghua’s participation, with Hengli among the potential alternatives. Maersk has declined to comment on market rumours. The potential 24-ship programme therefore remains under discussion alongside its 34 confirmed newbuildings.

CMA CGM has also been linked to another substantial megamax investment. Reports from Alphaliner and other industry sources identified the French group as the prospective customer behind a 12-ship, 24,000-TEU LNG dual-fuel programme at Yangzijiang. Reported deliveries point to 2029 and 2030, with estimated prices of US$245 million to US$250 million per vessel putting the potential value close to US$3 billion. The programme would extend CMA CGM’s investment in the largest containership segment.

The rivalry also involves choices about deployment. Maersk’s February order features ships measuring 366 metres long and 58.6 metres wide, with the company explicitly highlighting their operational flexibility. CMA CGM is receiving its 24,212-TEU CMA CGM NOTRE DAME series, whose first ship has entered the group’s Asia-Europe network. A further Maersk order in the 24,000-TEU segment would bring the two carriers’ investments closer together at the largest vessel sizes, where cost performance depends heavily on utilisation, port productivity and network design.

A narrow capacity gap leaves room for manoeuvre

The gap has already narrowed substantially. Alphaliner figures dated 3 October 2026, previously reported by Xinde Maritime, put the difference in operated capacity between Maersk and CMA CGM at approximately 283,000 TEU. CMA CGM had slightly more owned capacity, while Maersk’s larger chartered fleet kept it ahead overall. That snapshot shows how close the two carriers had become and how important chartered tonnage remained to their relative positions.

Twelve ships of 24,000 TEU provide about 288,000 TEU of nominal capacity, close to the size of that October gap. Their effect on the ranking will depend on delivery dates and the fleet decisions made around them. Newbuildings may replace older ships, while charter renewals, redeliveries and additional fixtures can change operated capacity more quickly. The relevant comparison is the fleet each carrier actually operates at a given date.

Both groups retain considerable room to adjust. Their competition will play out in the charter market as well as through owned vessels. CMA CGM needs to keep adding operating capacity to complete its planned overtaking manoeuvre. Maersk’s commitment to maintaining market share also calls for fleet decisions that respond to demand growth and its competitors’ expansion.

The 2027 contest and the fleet taking shape beyond it

Saadé’s target is the end of 2027. Maersk’s 34 confirmed large newbuildings are scheduled to arrive in 2029 and 2030, as are the 12 megamaxes linked to CMA CGM at Yangzijiang in market reports. Delivery dates for Maersk’s prospective 24,000-TEU programme have yet to be announced. These projects will chiefly influence the carriers’ positions later in the decade.

Existing construction programmes are more immediately relevant to the 2027 target. CMA CGM has said its ten-ship CMA CGM NOTRE DAME series will be delivered between 2026 and 2028. The pace of such deliveries, together with charter decisions and the withdrawal of older tonnage, will shape the nearer-term comparison. A change in the ranking by 2027 would still leave both companies facing another round of substantial fleet investment arriving towards 2030.

Demand confidence meets a growing supply pipeline

The two chief executives share some of the same confidence in future cargo demand. Saadé pointed in July to economic growth and developing markets as support for investment. In Maersk’s 5 November results announcement, Clerc highlighted industrial cargo generated by electrification, energy investment and the expansion of AI infrastructure, alongside consumer demand. Maersk said demand exceeded available space on some routes, while its third-quarter presentation showed vessel utilisation holding at 96% for three consecutive quarters.

Congestion and trade imbalances add to the need for ships. Maersk has highlighted faster growth on headhaul routes than on backhaul legs, together with landside investment constraints and weather disruption that slow asset turnover. Additional vessels can help sustain schedules and available space when the network becomes less efficient. Faster port operations and shorter voyages, however, can release effective capacity from the same fleet. Those changing conditions will influence the returns earned by vessels arriving several years from now.

The wider supply pipeline is expanding at the same time. Alphaliner’s late-October analysis put the global containership orderbook above 15 million TEU, with another wave of large projects potentially taking it towards 16 million TEU. MSC and other carriers are also adding capacity. Each company’s effort to secure market share contributes to the industry’s future supply, making operating flexibility increasingly valuable. Saadé’s willingness to adjust operations in a weaker market sits alongside his confidence in long-term growth.

The contest extends across the supply chain

Fleet investment forms part of a broader competition in terminals and logistics. In its 2025 results, CMA CGM reported US$2.5 billion of terminal investment during the year and a portfolio of 66 terminals across 40 countries. The group regards terminal operations as an important part of improving supply chain control, efficiency and service quality. Its fleet plans also envisage more than 200 vessels capable of using low-carbon fuels by 2030.

Maersk continues to develop its integrated network through Ocean, Logistics & Services and Terminals. In its latest results, it maintained group capital expenditure guidance of US$10 billion to US$11 billion for the combined 2026–2027 period. For both carriers, competitive performance will depend on how effectively ships connect with ports, inland transport and customers’ cargo flows. Capacity creates the ability to carry more business; dependable service and sustained earnings require the network around it to perform.

Saadé has set a timetable for reaching second place, while Clerc is advancing the fleet investment needed to support Maersk’s growth. With both companies adjusting their plans, each is changing the conditions under which the other competes. Operated capacity at the end of 2027 will test CMA CGM’s overtaking ambition. The contracts, deliveries and fleet withdrawals that follow will determine how durable any lead becomes.