Maersk fleet will break 2 million-TEU mark

Maersk fleet will break 2 million-TEU mark    The A.P. M'ller-Maersk operated fleet will exceed two million TEUs in capacity by the end of this month, said the research service AXS-Alphaliner.
   The Danish carrier has doubled its fleet since hitting the 1 million-TEU mark in December 2004. The 2 million-TEU total includes ships operated by Maersk Line as well as affiliates Safmarine and MCC Transport.
   'After some difficult times during which it saw its global market share recede from 18.2 percent to 16.0 percent in the wake of the purchase of Royal P&O Nedlloyd, APM-Maersk is now bouncing back,' said AXS-Alphaliner. The company's operated fleet will grow 6.3 percent in the first four months of 2008, outpacing other large carriers such as Mediterranean Shipping Co., CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd and Evergreen.
   'This fleet growth allowed Maersk to regain market share, growing from just over 16.0 percent to 16.3 percent    during the first four months of 2008,' AXS-Alphaliner said. 'However, since the recent wave of deliveries came to an end in April, the carrier's share is now expected to stagnate for a few months. It may even slide back again, unless high cargo volumes prompt the line to charter in additional ships.'
   AXS Alphaliner notes that as of January, the three largest carriers — Maersk, MSC and CMA CGM — had a 34.1 percent market share.
   While Maersk remains the largest container carrier, it notes that carriers such as CMA-CGM, MSC, China Shipping, Hapag-Lloyd and Hamburg Sud have all grown their fleets more quickly than Maersk since 2000.
   AXS Alphaliner reports and newsletters can be found at www1.axsmarine.com/public/axsliner.php#05.