Almost everything in your home crossed an ocean at some point, and there is a good chance it did so on a ship operated by one of roughly ten companies. Container shipping is one of the most concentrated industries in the world. A handful of carriers control the vast majority of the boxes moving between Asia, Europe, and the Americas, and the pecking order among them shapes rates, schedules, and capacity for every importer on the planet. The ten largest lines together control roughly 84% of the world’s container capacity. This guide ranks the top 10 by fleet size, explains how they are grouped into alliances, and, just as importantly, shows why the biggest carrier is not automatically the right one for your cargo.
The largest shipping companies in 2026: top 10 by capacity
Shipping lines are ranked by the total capacity of the fleet they operate, measured in TEU, or twenty-foot equivalent units. One TEU is a single standard 20-foot container, and a 40-foot box counts as two. The figures below are rounded, since the numbers shift with every new vessel delivery.
The global fleet as a whole passed 33.6 million TEU across roughly 7,500 operated ships at the start of 2026. The gap at the top is striking: MSC alone carries more capacity than ranks eight, nine, and ten combined, and the top four lines hold more than half of all container capacity between them.
10. ZIM (Israel)
ZIM, headquartered in Haifa and founded in 1945, is the smallest of the top ten but punches above its weight with an asset-light, digital-first model and a strong position on US trades. It runs largely as a standalone operator with slot cooperation on some lanes. In February 2026, Hapag-Lloyd agreed to acquire ZIM, a transaction expected to close in late 2026 once regulators sign off.
Website: zim.com
9. Yang Ming (Taiwan)
Yang Ming Marine Transport, based in Keelung, Taiwan, was founded in 1972 and is partly state-owned. It concentrates on regional Asian and pan-Pacific routes rather than blanket global coverage, and it is a member of the Premier Alliance.
Website: yangming.com
8. HMM (South Korea)
HMM, formerly Hyundai Merchant Marine, is South Korea’s flagship carrier, founded in 1976. It operates a modern fleet of very large vessels and has been closing in on the one million TEU mark. HMM is part of the Premier Alliance.
Website: hmm21.com
7. Evergreen Line (Taiwan)
Founded in 1968 and headquartered in Taoyuan, Taiwan, Evergreen is a specialist container carrier with one of the youngest fleets among the major lines, which helps it on fuel efficiency and reliability. It is strong on the Transpacific and intra-Asia trades and belongs to the Ocean Alliance.
Website: evergreen-marine.com
6. ONE (Japan and Singapore)
Ocean Network Express was created in 2017 when the three big Japanese carriers, NYK, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, and K Line, merged their container businesses. Run from Tokyo and Singapore and instantly recognizable for its magenta ships, ONE is a leading member of the Premier Alliance.
Website: one-line.com
5. Hapag-Lloyd (Germany)
Hapag-Lloyd traces its roots to 1847 and is based in Hamburg. It has grown through mergers with names such as UASC and remains one of the strongest carriers on the Atlantic and the Middle East trades. In 2025 it left THE Alliance to partner with Maersk in the Gemini Cooperation. In February 2026, it also agreed to acquire ZIM, a deal approved by ZIM shareholders and targeted to close in late 2026, subject to regulatory clearances, which would further strengthen its position.
Website: hapag-lloyd.com
4. COSCO Shipping (China)
COSCO Shipping is a Chinese state-owned group formed by the 2016 merger of COSCO and China Shipping, later strengthened by the acquisition of Hong Kong’s OOCL. Headquartered in Shanghai, it is the largest carrier in China and a cornerstone of the country’s trade with Europe and North America. It is a core member of the Ocean Alliance.
Website: lines.coscoshipping.com
3. CMA CGM S.A. (France)
The French, family-controlled CMA CGM was founded in 1978 by Jacques Saade and is headquartered in Marseille. It grew through a long series of acquisitions, including APL and Mercosul Line, and is one of the strongest carriers on the Asia-to-Mediterranean trade. Like Maersk, it has pushed hard into logistics and air freight. CMA CGM leads the Ocean Alliance alongside COSCO and Evergreen.
Website: cma-cgm.com
2. MAERSK (Denmark)
A.P. Moller-Maersk, based in Copenhagen and founded in 1904, was the world’s largest carrier for decades before MSC pulled ahead. Rather than chase raw capacity, Maersk has repositioned itself as an end-to-end logistics integrator, combining ocean freight with ports through APM Terminals, inland trucking, warehousing, and air cargo. In 2025, it launched the Gemini Cooperation with Hapag-Lloyd, a hub-and-spoke network built around schedule reliability.
Website: maersk.com
1. MSC (Switzerland)
MSC, the Mediterranean Shipping Company, was founded in 1970 by Captain Gianluigi Aponte and is headquartered in Geneva. It overtook Maersk in 2022 to become the largest container line in the world and has kept expanding aggressively ever since, both by buying secondhand tonnage and by ordering new ships. It now operates outside the major alliances, which gives it unusual freedom to route vessels as it sees fit. MSC also runs a cruise business and a growing logistics arm.
Website: msc.com
How the carriers group into alliances
Fleet size is only half the story. On the busiest east-to-west trades, most services are run jointly through alliances, where several carriers pool their ships and share slots so each can offer more sailings than it could alone.
- Gemini Cooperation: Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, built around a hub-and-spoke model that aims for high schedule reliability.
- Ocean Alliance: CMA CGM, COSCO, and Evergreen, the largest alliance by combined capacity, with dense coverage on Asia to Europe and the Transpacific.
- Premier Alliance: ONE, HMM, and Yang Ming, the successor to THE Alliance, with some slot cooperation with MSC on certain lanes.
- Standalone: MSC, big enough to run its own global network, and ZIM, which cooperates on slots while its acquisition by Hapag-Lloyd works through approval.
For a shipper, the alliance behind a service often matters more than the flag on the ship, because it determines which ports a string calls at, how often it sails, and how many transshipments your cargo goes through.
How big are the ships themselves?
The race for scale shows up in the vessels too. The largest container ships afloat today are MSC’s Irina-class giants at around 24,300 TEU, which edged past the previous record holders. HMM’s Algeciras-class ships, at close to 24,000 TEU, held the title when they were delivered in 2020 but have since been overtaken. It is worth remembering that these headline numbers are nominal. A ship rated at 24,000 TEU never actually sails with 24,000 laden boxes once weight limits and the mix of 40-foot and reefer containers are taken into account.
Comparing carriers for your shipment
The only way to know which line fits your cargo and budget is to compare live offers for your actual route. Request a free quote on ShipHub and reliable freight forwarders will send you rates across the major carriers, so you can weigh price, transit time, and reliability side by side instead of guessing from a ranking.
Does the biggest carrier ship your cargo best?
It is tempting to assume the largest line is the safest choice, but for a specific shipment, that is rarely the deciding factor. What you actually buy is a service string on your lane, and the questions that matter are whether the carrier runs a direct call at your ports, how reliable its schedule is, how many transshipments your box will face, and what the contract rate looks like. A smaller carrier that is dominant on your particular route can serve you better than a giant that only reaches your port through a feeder.
Around 80% of world trade by volume moves across the ocean, so getting the carrier and routing right has a real effect on your costs and lead times. This is where a freight forwarder earns its keep, comparing lines, lanes, and rates on your behalf rather than tying you to a single carrier’s schedule. If you want the background, see our explainer on what a forwarding agent does.
Practical tips for choosing a shipping line
- Match the carrier to the lane, not the ranking. Ask which lines run a direct call between your origin and destination before you look at fleet size.
- Check the alliance. The alliance behind a service sets the ports, frequency, and transshipments, so it tells you more about your real transit than the carrier’s total TEU.
- Weigh reliability, not just price. On-time performance varies a lot between carriers and alliances, and a cheap sailing that misses its slot can cost you more in the end.
- Mind consolidation among carriers. Mergers like the pending Hapag-Lloyd and ZIM deal can reshape services and rates on specific trades, so confirm your string is stable.
- Use a forwarder to compare. Rather than approach lines one by one, let a forwarder put competing offers next to each other for your exact shipment.
The largest shipping companies – a summary
| Rank | Company | Home country | Approx. capacity (TEU) | 2026 alliance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MSC | Switzerland | 7.1 million | Standalone |
| 2 | Maersk | Denmark | 4.6 million | Gemini Cooperation |
| 3 | CMA CGM | France | 4.1 million | Ocean Alliance |
| 4 | COSCO | China | 3.6 million | Ocean Alliance |
| 5 | Hapag-Lloyd | Germany | 2.3 million | Gemini Cooperation |
| 6 | ONE | Japan and Singapore | 2.0 million | Premier Alliance |
| 7 | Evergreen Line | Taiwan | 1.7 million | Ocean Alliance |
| 8 | HMM | South Korea | 0.9 million | Premier Alliance |
| 9 | Yang Ming | Taiwan | 0.7 million | Premier Alliance |
| 10 | ZIM | Israel | 0.6 million | Standalone |
Frequently asked questions
Which is the largest shipping company in the world?
MSC, the Mediterranean Shipping Company, is the largest container line in the world. As of 2026, it operated around 7.1 million TEU of capacity, close to a fifth of the global fleet, according to Alphaliner. It overtook Maersk for the top spot in 2022 and has expanded its lead since.
How is the size of a shipping company measured?
Rankings use the total capacity of the fleet a carrier operates, measured in TEU, which counts both owned and chartered ships. One TEU equals one standard 20-foot container, and a 40-foot container counts as two. Capacity, rather than the number of ships, is the standard measure because vessel sizes vary so widely.
How concentrated is the container shipping industry?
Very. Around 80% of world trade by volume travels by sea, and the ten largest container lines control roughly 84% of global container capacity. The top four alone, MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM, and COSCO, hold more than half of it between them.
What are the shipping alliances in 2026?
There are three main alliances. Gemini Cooperation pairs Maersk with Hapag-Lloyd. The Ocean Alliance brings together CMA CGM, COSCO, and Evergreen. The Premier Alliance is made up of ONE, HMM, and Yang Ming. MSC and ZIM operate as standalone carriers, with ZIM cooperating on some slots while its acquisition by Hapag-Lloyd is finalized.
Does choosing a bigger carrier get my cargo there faster?
Not on its own. Fleet size affects cost per box on the busiest lanes, but your transit time depends far more on whether the carrier runs a direct call on your route, which alliance operates the string, and how many transshipments your cargo takes. A smaller line that is strong on your lane can serve you better than the largest carrier.