CMA CGM poised to take over Maersk as second largest liner operator

CMA CGM is poised to surpass rival Maersk to the second spot on the liner rankings when including its huge orderbook. The latest data from Alphaliner shows CMA CGM’s fleet – including ships on order – stands at 5.42m slots, some 140,000 teu more than Maersk. Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) remains far out in the lead, however, its fleet – including ships on order – is now at 8.47m slots, larger than the extant fleets of CMA CGM and Maersk combined. Being the largest buyer of second-hand boxships in the opening months of 2025, CMA CGM has been busy ordering newbuilds. 

CMA CGM can trace its origins back to 1978 when Jacques Saadé founded Compagnie Maritime d’Affrètement (CMA) as an intra-Mediterranean operator. In 1996, Saadé merged CMA with Compagnie Générale Maritime (CGM) to create what was then the 12th largest liner in the world.

Maersk, meanwhile, has been content to focus on operating a fleet within the 4m to 4.4m teu range, a policy originally conceived by former CEO Soren Skou, and carried on by his successor Vincent Clerc. This strategy saw MSC overhaul Maersk as the world’s largest carrier at the start of 2021.

There are other notable ranking shifts taking place lower down the Alphaliner liner charts too. When including ships on order, Taiwan’s Evergreen has just overtaken Japan’s Ocean Network Express (ONE) into sixth spot while Wan Hai, also from Taiwan, enters the top 10 at the expense of compatriot Yang Ming.