China Shipping overtakes COSCO as biggest Chinese box carrier

China Shipping overtakes COSCO as biggest Chinese box carrier    Fast-growing China Shipping Container Lines has overtaken COSCO Container Lines as the largest Chinese container carrier, when measured in container fleet capacity.
   According to information provider BRS-Alphaliner, China Shipping Container Lines now operates 123 container ships with a total capacity of 290,089 TEUs, making it the world’s eighth-largest box carrier.
   In June-July 2004, the Shanghai-based shipping line ranked as the world’s 11th-largest with a capacity of 221,379 TEUs, according to a survey by American Shipper.
   “CSCL has taken a breakthrough step in the road to become a ‘larger and stronger’ liner company,” the carrier said.
   Widely believed to have one of the largest order books among carriers, China Shipping said before its 2004 initial public offering that it plans to expand its fleet to 144 vessels with a capacity of about 434,000 TEUs by the end of 2007.