Maersk May End Containership Fleet Capacity Limit

Credit: A.P. Moller - Maersk

A.P. Moller - Maersk may move away from its long-standing containership fleet limit as CEO Vincent Clerc prepares the company for further fleet growth, The Maritime Telegraph reports.

For years, Maersk kept its fleet capacity around 4m-4.4m TEU. New vessels mainly replaced older ships. But the company has now moved well above that level.

Maersk’s average operated fleet capacity reached 4.673m TEU in Q2 2026, up from 4.640m TEU in Q1. At the end of June, the company had 721 vessels, including 324 owned and 397 chartered ships.

Industry data puts Maersk’s current operated capacity at more than 4.7m TEU, keeping it in second place among the world’s container carriers, behind MSC. CMA CGM is now at around 4.4m TEU and is closing the gap.

Linerlytica said Maersk’s fleet has grown by only about 2% a year since 2018, compared with 11.7% for several major competitors.

Maersk is already renewing its fleet. In February, the company ordered eight 18,600-TEU dual-fuel vessels for delivery in 2029-2030. The order brought its total orderbook to 33 vessels.

Global News

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A. P. MOLLER MAERSK

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