Which company operates the world's largest container shipping fleet by capacity as of 2024?

As of 2024, Mediterranean Shipping Company operated the world’s largest container shipping fleet by capacity.

MSC, commonly known by its initials, is a privately held Swiss-Italian shipping company founded in 1970 by Gianluigi Aponte. It began with a single second-hand ship and expanded into a global liner network serving major ports and trade routes.

Industry rankings generally compare carriers by fleet capacity in TEUs, or twenty-foot equivalent units, rather than by the number of vessels alone. Alphaliner’s end-of-2024 figures placed MSC above 6.3 million TEUs and gave it roughly one-fifth of global container capacity. MSC had overtaken Maersk for the top position in early 2022.

Fleet rankings are time-sensitive because carriers buy ships, charter vessels, retire older tonnage, and receive newbuildings. Maersk, CMA CGM, and COSCO remained major rivals, but they ranked below MSC by operated container capacity in 2024.