20 Largest Container Shipping Companies In The World
The 20 largest shipping companies in the world in 2025 have undergone a massive transformation since their beginning in the form of technology, carriers and containers. Every day brings up a revolutionary introduction and is an effort to make the shipment easier, safer and faster. Shipping companies used to carry only hundreds of TEUs and travel for months.
Now, they have increased container capacity and reduced transit time. Now, cargo handling technology has undergone immense transformation, making the loading and de-loading process much safer and quicker. Many shipping companies have worked hard to improve trade. They aim to provide the best shipping services worldwide for many years. This blog will reveal the 20 largest shipping companies in 2024. We want to help you learn about the shipping leaders from last year.
Leading Shipping Companies in the world in 2024
MSC – Mediterranean Shipping Company
Mediterranean Shipping Company( MSC) was the world’s largest shipping company, among the top 20 largest shipping companies in the world, established in 1970. With its shipment services worldwide, it has outshined other companies in the shipping world. It has over 675 offices worldwide and a TEU capacity of approximately 4,287,000. Consequently, the company offers competitive rates and less transit time. Take a look at its milestone achievements in the past few years-
- MSC Acquires Stake in HHLA—In 2024, MSC bought a 49.9% stake in Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG, the top German port operator. This helped it extend its reach in Europe.
- Fleet expansion: It acquired the 400th vessel, Northern Jaguar, for $52.5 million, with a capacity of 8.814 TEU.
- Initiative towards Sustainability—In 2024, it took the initiative to protect the environment by recycling its old vessels that are no longer in use and striving for sustainability.
- Award—It bagged the container Shipping line of the year: India-America, Africa 7 Europe Trade Lane award, which was organized in Mumbai.
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APM-Maersk
- It is a Denmark –based shipping company with a year of establishment in 1904. It owns almost 738 container ships with a capacity of approximately 4,275,000 TEU, proving its strength in the international world of shipping containers. In 2024, Maersk proved its metal yet again with several milestones in its kitty-
- Financial Performance- Maersk's revenue touched USD 15.76 billion, which was much higher than the previous year’s revenue of last year’s quarter.
- Sustainability award—In 2024, the Danish Port awarded AMP Terminals, a subsidiary of Maersk, the Sustainability Award.
CMA-CGM
It is a French-origin international container shipping company with a year of establishment in 1978. It has succeeded in becoming the third-largest company in terms of TEU capacity. The company has a fleet of more than 668 ships active on more than 150 international routes. The ship holds a capacity of approximately 3,198,000 TEU. In 2024, CMA–CGM achieved numerous markers in the realm.
- Financial Performance- 2024, the financial Performance in 2024 reached USD 15.8 billion in the third quarter.
- New acquisitions—In February 2024, CMA CGM acquired Bolloré Transport & Logistics and Altice Media.
- Award—In June 2024, it was recognized with the Best Global Shipping Line for Logistics and Supply Chain Award for the fourth time at the 2024 Asian Freight.
- Expansion plan—In March 2025, CMA CGM announced its expansion through an investment of $20 billion in the United States of America.
COSCO
It is a famous China-based shipping company with operations in almost 40 nations. as a being with 4th largest among top 20 largest shipping companies in the world. It owns around 480 container ships with 585,000 TEU. 2024 was a highly rewarding year for COSCO, with phenomenal financial results and a 95% increase in net profit.
- Net profit- its net profit for 2024 was around RMB 55.37 billion.
- EBIT- the company’s EBIT of USD 9.5, with a 90.7 % increment in comparison to 2023.
Hapag-Lloyd
It is a Germany-based global container shipping company founded in 1970. It owns over 250 ships with a carrying capacity of 1, 98,000TEU around the world. Known as an important player and has its name in the list of top shipping companies worldwide. In 2024, despite the lack of stability and geographical tension in the world, Which produced positive results.
- Revenue Growth: Its revenue was €19.1 billion in 2024, almost 6.7% more than the previous year.
- Operating Profit (EBIT): The profit is €2.6 billion, almost 4% more than last year.
- Transport capacity: The company increased its handling capacity by over 12.5 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units), a 5% increase compared to the previous year’s capacity.
Ocean Network Express (ONE)
Established in 2017, Ocean Network Express( ONE) is an integrated company of three shipping companies. It owns almost 209 vessels with a carrying potential of 1,531,000 TEU. 2024 was a phenomenal year for ONE, strengthening its position in the list of the top 20 shipping companies in the world.
- In 2024, Ocean Network Express (ONE) earned a net profit of US$3,095 million.
- ONE’s emphasized expansion and updated its fleet with the new technology.
- ONE started eco-friendly shipping practices involving less polluting and safe fuel.
Evergreen Line
Evergreen Line is a Taiwan-based shipping company established in 1968. It has a load-carrying capacity of approximately 1,478,000 TEU. Its fleet includes the biggest container ships, and it owns 204 containers.
- Evergreen line bagged almost 67.53% of revenue increase in 2024 with figures of approximately US$16.2 billion).
- Net profit hiked by 294.64% to about US$4.8 billion) in 2024.
Yang Ming Marine Transport
It is a company of Taiwanese origin based on almost all continents. Which operates in Europe, America, Australia, and Asia and is one of the world's oldest shipping companies. Has around 90 vessels, each carrying a container carrying a potential of 662,000TEU. This has grown exponentially in the past few years and has been rewarded with numerous prominent awards.
- Revenue: Yang Ming’s US$6.94 billion for the year 2024.
- Net Profit: It earned a net profit after tax of US$2 billion,
- Yang Ming was acknowledged the 2024 Sustainability Partner Award by Union Pacific Railroad.
- Carbon Emission Reduction Achievement: Yang Ming's convoy's carbon emissions were reduced by 61.86% in 2023.
Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd
Abbreviated as Zim, it is an Israeli shipping company with 111 ships. Zim is ranked among the top shipping companies in the world. It possesses a capacity of 419,000 TEUs. In 2024, Zim achieved a financial breakthrough, which is evidenced by the following figures-
- Revenue in 2024: $8.43 billion.
- Net Income in 2024: $2.15 billion.
- Container Volume: In Q3 2024, ZIM carried 970 thousand TEUs.
Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL)
Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) is counted to be top container shipping company of Hong Kong. with around 320 offices around the world and network of almost 70 nations, OOCL have profound TEU capacity of around 565,000. .
- Lifting Volume 2024: 7.6 million TEU.
- Dividend- The Board of Directors announced a dividend of US$1.32 per share for 2024.
- Operating Profit- The profit in 2024 was US$2,625 million.
- Revenue- OOIL's revenue for 2024 was disclosed US$10,702 million.
Pacific International Lines (PIL)
PIL, started in 1967, serves the South Asian region.
It has around 164 containers and multipurpose ships between 100 world nations engaged in transportation. It has a 347,000 TEU capacity.
- In 2024, it focussed on maintaining profits for 2023. In 2023, the net profit earned was US$307 million despite a decline in profit compared to 2022.
- PIL expansion- PIL worked on finding new routes and shipping services in the regions of China, Iraq, and Bangladesh.
- Fleet Upgradation: In 2024, we added 7000 TEU vessels to our services. This change aims to improve operational efficiency.
Wan Hai Lines
Wan Hai Lines became a leading container shipping company with 90 ship fleets under its cap. The company possesses a 260,000TEU carrying capacity on 20 global routes. It is a Taiwan-based shipping company with phenomenal gains.
- Wan Hai Lines gained NT$47.4 billion in 2024.
- Wan Hai Lines added new vessels in 2024 to expand its operation beyond territories.
- Sustainable initiative: Wan Hai Lines cares about the environment. In 2024, they began using eco-friendly 13,100 TEU vessels.
- The company deployed 5 more ships in 2024 to increase their services to the West Coast of the US.
SITC International Holdings Co.Ltd
SITC International Holdings CO Ltd is one of the most trusted name in the shipping world. It is a Hong Kong-based shipping company with 84 vessels in operation on international routes. It provides shipping services in 75 routes by meddling with 76 of the world's biggest ports.
- Gross profit in 2024 – US$1.14 billion
- Net profit 2024 – US$1.03 billion.
- Revenue—It surpassed a revenue of US$3.06 billion in 2024.
Korea Marine Transport Co.Ltd
Korea Marine Transport Co. Ltd is a Seoul-based shipping company established in 1954. It owns a fleet of 50 ships with a TEU potential of 99,000 TEUs. KMTC usually operates in countries like India, Russia, China, Japan, Korea, and South East Asian countries. It is rated amongst the largest shipping companies in the world and has been excelling in the industry for more than 70 years now. It has showcased immense financial growth in the last few years.
- Revenue- In 2023, KMTC showed around $2.2 billion in profit.
- Net profit in 2021 was recorded to be $1.22 billion.
Zhonggu Logistics Corporation
It is one of the few companies out of the top companies that offers customized logistics solutions for containers. This is a China-based shipping company with around 100 ships. Which serves in 200 ports of the world with maximum container capacity of 147,000 TEUs
- Container strength- It possesses almost 40,000 containers.
- Total assets – according to 2023 reports, the company's total assets are CNY 23.4 billion.
- Revenue—In September 2024, revenue was about CNY 2.71 billion, a 14.08% decrease from 2023.
X-Press Feeders
X-press Feeders is a container shipping group with its headquarters in Singapore. It owns 43 vessels out of the 110 it operates. Its TEU capacity is 144,000 TEUs. It carries these to Asia, Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Indian subcontinent.
- Objective—The company aims to reach net-zero gas emissions by 2050 and supports environmental sustainability.
- Fleet expansion- since October 2023, X-feeders grew its fleet to 35,000 TEUs with almost 21.9% expansion.
- Alphaliner Position: It ranked 13th in the Alphaliner Top 100 after outshining numerous industry-leading names.
- Global Handling: The company is the biggest transhipment hub. It operates in Asia, Latin America, Africa, Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line Group (IRISL Group)
In 2023, IRISL claimed to increase investment by around $1.5 billion in modernization and expansion.
- In 2023, it cropped the maximum profit out of last 4 years.
It began shipping to Africa, Venezuela, and Syria regularly and permanently. - It increased investment in modern crane logistics to handle 100,000 TEUs more efficiently.
Unifeeder
It is a Denmark-based company that presents logistic solutions across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and America. Its carrying capacity amounts to around 5.5 million TEUs yearly. Unifeeder serves almost 200 ports worldwide with roughly 16,200 calls. It is an important connecting point for global shipping.
- In 2024, Unifeeder made a big splash with immense growth and expansion worldwide. It almost tripled its market in the intra-Mediterranean trade sector.
- Unifeeder continued to open its offices for trade and economic growth by inaugurating its first office in Panama City.
- It also reported an increase in the capacity growth of carriers in the region of Intra-Mediterranean.
SeaLead
Sealed is a Singapore-operating company whose headquarters is situated therein. It possesses offices worldwide with a yearly handling potential of 1.15 million TEUs. The sea link has made shipping easier around the world. It connects countries like the US, the Red Sea, the Middle East, Africa, and the Mediterranean.
- Service Expansion: Service Expansion: Sealead with its collaboration with Blue Water Line initiated weekly Gulf India Express service .
- Rank Globally- SeaLead bagged the position of 16th largest container carrier as per Alphaliner.
Summing Up:
The 20 largest container shipping companies in the world in 2024 have worked hard to improve their global operations. All 20 companies continue introducing technological advances and ensuring smooth and reliable operations. Globalization escalates the demand for more advanced and robust cargo transportation globally.
We are the business partners of the largest shipping companies in the world. We can assist you in shipping your product through any of India’s 20 most extensive shipping lines. You can reach us at +91-9311595648 or cargodeal@falconfreight.com