International Logistics: Introduction to the Top 10 Shipping Lines

TOP1、Maersk

• Shipping company code: MSK
• Shipping company name in English: A.P. MOLLER-MAERSK A/S
• Shipping company name in Chinese: A.P. Moller-Maersk Limited
• Shipping company abbreviation: Maersk

Maersk Line (MAERSK) is known as “the world’s largest shipping company.” Founded in 1928, Maersk Line (MAERSK) is the largest subsidiary of the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group and the world’s largest container shipping company. Today’s Maersk Line (MAERSK) was restructured after Maersk Sealand merged with Britain’s P&O Nedlloyd. It currently accounts for 17% of the global container shipping market.

A bit of unofficial history: The company’s ancestors were Nordic pirates, but they later went legit and moved into shipping. Its headquarters are in Copenhagen, in a six-story building with an elevator. But hardly anyone uses the elevator, because the boss climbs the stairs to his sixth-floor office every day, so no one dares take the elevator; they all use the stairs. Maersk is known for its arrogance, rigidity, and keeping its word. Its tax payments account for 40% of the Danish government’s revenue, making it a major force in Denmark. Its expatriate staff are known for their poor qualifications. For example, Su Enshen, general manager of the China region, used to be a forklift driver in Denmark. It is said that he always left the education section of his résumé blank. However, Maersk has very high standards for new employees, who are divided into employees and trainees. The former are regular employees, while the latter undergo several months of intensive training at the headquarters in Denmark (extremely grueling, with textbooks as thick as a Chinese dictionary—three volumes) before being sent to work around the world. Finally, regardless of gender, they spend six months training aboard a ship before being entrusted with major responsibilities.

TOP2、Mediterranean Shg Co

• Shipping company code: MSC
• Shipping company name in English: MEDITERRANEAN SHIPPING COMPANY S.A.
• Shipping company name in Chinese: Mediterranean Shipping Company
• Shipping company abbreviation: MSC

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

MSC currently operates 200 weekly direct and trunk-and-feeder services worldwide, with international container shipping routes serving 335 ports across six continents.

As of February 2011, MSC had a fleet of 438 vessels with a capacity of 1,884,360 TEU, branches in 145 countries, 421 representative offices, and more than 37,000 employees. The scale of its investment also reflects MSC’s passion for the shipping industry and the pace of its growth. From just a few conventional cargo ships in its early days, MSC has grown to operate more than 240 container ships. Whether measured by fleet size or carrying capacity, MSC ranks second in the world.

An unofficial tale: A money-laundering outfit for European organized crime, registered in Switzerland. Supposedly, when MSC orders ships from a shipyard, it goes like this: a few people show up carrying several very large suitcases full of cash. Once they have agreed on a contract with the shipyard, they open the suitcases, count out a certain percentage of the cash, then hand the rest to the shipyard and say, “I’ve already taken my commission. This is the deposit. Let’s sign the contract.” Most MSC ships are named after women, such as Lolita and Famiya. MSC never shares vessel space with other companies; its ships are enormous, its freight rates incredibly low, and its service incredibly poor. It also rarely leases containers—all of them are owned by the company.

TOP3, COSCO

• Shipping line code: COSCO
• Shipping line name in English: CHINA COSCO SHIPPING GROUP
• Shipping line name in Chinese: China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited
• Shipping line abbreviation: COSCO

COSCO Shipping owns and controls nearly 800 modern merchant vessels of various types, with a combined deadweight capacity of more than 56 million tons and annual freight volume exceeding 400 million tons. Its ocean routes serve more than 1,600 ports in over 160 countries and regions worldwide. Its fleet ranks first in China and second in the world. Its container fleet ranks first domestically and rose to third worldwide following its acquisition of OOCL. Its dry bulk fleet ranks first in the world. Its professional general cargo, multipurpose and specialized transport fleets are among the world’s strongest, and its tanker fleet is one of the world’s leading supertanker fleets.

TOP4, CMA CGM

• Shipping line code: CMA
• Shipping line name in English: CMA CGM S.A.
• Shipping line name in Chinese: French shipping group CMA CGM
• Shipping line abbreviation: CMA CGM

Founded in 1978, CMA CGM is headquartered in Marseille, France. As of December 2009, the company operated 352 container ships worldwide, with a capacity of 790,000 TEU, and ran 170 routes. It had 650 branches and offices in 150 countries and regions around the world (including 63 in China), employed 16,400 people globally, and called at 400 ports worldwide, with a service network spanning all five continents.

In October 1992, CMA CGM officially entered the Chinese market, leading to the establishment of CMA CGM (China) Shipping Co., Ltd. (referred to as CMA CGM China). Since its founding, CMA CGM China has drawn on the French group’s strong shipping capabilities and global service network to provide customers across China with fast, high-quality and efficient shipping services.

From the late 1990s onward, the CMA CGM Group not only launched direct routes from the Mediterranean to Northern Europe, the Red Sea, Southeast Asia and East Asia, but also successfully acquired France’s largest state-owned shipping company, Compagnie Générale Maritime (CGM), in 1996, and Australia’s national shipping company, ANL, in 1999. It was officially renamed “CMA CGM.” In 2005, the group also successfully acquired Delmas, OT Africa Line and MacAndrews, becoming France’s largest and the world’s third-largest global container carrier. Today, the CMA CGM Group operates 244 container ships worldwide, including 71 owned vessels, with a capacity of 500,000 TEU. It has 420 branches and offices in 126 countries and regions, employs 10,200 people worldwide, and generated total revenue of €5.7 billion in 2005. Its ships call at 216 ports around the world, with a service network spanning all five continents, making it a rising star in the global shipping industry.

TOP5, Hapag-Lloyd

• Shipping line code: HPL
• Shipping line name: HAPAG-LLOYD CONTAINER LINE GMBH
• Shipping line Chinese name: Hapag-Lloyd Container Shipping Co., Ltd.
• Shipping line abbreviation: Hapag-Lloyd

Hapag-Lloyd (HPL) was founded on September 1, 1970, through the merger of HAPAG and NDL.

Hapag-Lloyd (HPL) operates approximately 135 modern vessels and nearly 5 million containers (TEU), and employs more than 6,900 people across 300 locations in 114 countries worldwide. Its services connect Southern Europe, Northern Europe, North America, Latin America, and Asia.

Hapag-Lloyd (HPL) offers more than 80 services covering the globe and operates a container fleet with nearly 550,000 TEU of capacity and a total capacity of approximately 1 million standard containers. It is one of the world's largest and most modern refrigerated container shipping companies.

In 2005, Hapag-Lloyd (HPL) acquired Canadian Pacific Shipping, becoming one of the world's five largest container shipping companies.

TOP6, ONE

• Shipping line code: ONE
• Shipping line name: Ocean Network Express (China) Ltd., Shenzhen Branc
• Shipping line Chinese name: Ocean Network Express (China) Co., Ltd.
• Shipping line abbreviation: Ocean Network Express

Ocean Network Express (ONE) was formed by combining the container shipping businesses of Japan's three major shipping companies—Nippon Yusen Kaisha, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha—and officially began operations on April 1, 2018.

On July 7, 2017, Japan's three major shipping companies issued a joint announcement declaring the establishment of a holding company and an operating company to jointly run their container shipping businesses. The holding company was named Ocean Network Express Holdings, Ltd. and based in Tokyo, Japan; the operating company was named Ocean Network Express Future home of pte.ltd. and based in Singapore.

TOP7, Evergreen Line

• Shipping line code: EMC
• Shipping line name: EVERGREEN MARINE CORP. (TAIWAN) LTD.
• Shipping line Chinese name: Evergreen Marine Corporation
• Shipping line abbreviation: Evergreen Marine

Evergreen Marine (EMC) was founded on September 1, 1968. It began operations with just one general cargo ship that was 20 years old. Today, it operates approximately 120 full-container ships and ranks among the world's leaders in both fleet size and container capacity.

In 1975, Evergreen Marine Corporation (EMC) launched its fleet containerization program. With a newly built fleet of fast container ships, it opened a regular full-container service between the Far East and the U.S. East Coast, setting a precedent as the first full-container fleet in Taiwan. In 1984, EMC launched the unprecedented eastbound and westbound round-the-world full-container services. Using highly efficient, fully automated container ships and a comprehensive computerized information network, it connected transportation services across Asia, Europe, and the Americas, providing the global business community with economical, convenient, and safe shipping services. As times changed rapidly and market needs evolved, Evergreen also flexibly adjusted its operating strategy. For example, in 2002, it replaced its eastbound and westbound round-the-world services, which it had operated for 18 years, with two pendulum routes.

TOP8. HMM

• Shipping line code: HMM
• Shipping line English name: HYUNDAI MERCHANT MARINE CO., LTD.
• Shipping line Chinese name: Hyundai Merchant Marine Co., Ltd.
• Shipping line abbreviation: Hyundai Merchant Marine

Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) was established on March 25, 1976, and is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.

At its founding, HMM had just three very large crude carriers (VLCCs). Today, it has grown into one of the world’s largest multimodal shipping companies, with a fleet that includes bulk carriers, ore carriers, container ships, LNG tankers, and specialized cargo vessels.

As an integrated shipping and logistics company offering best-in-class transportation services, HMM operates 160 advanced vessels and has a global shipping network, diverse logistics facilities, industry-leading IT systems, and specialized maritime staff.

HMM has 4 regional headquarters, 28 subsidiaries, and 76 branch offices worldwide, with 4,566 employees.

TOP9. Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp.

• Shipping line code: YML
• Shipping line English name: YANG MING MARINE TRANSPORT CORP.
• Shipping line Chinese name: Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation
• Shipping line abbreviation: Yang Ming Marine

Yang Ming Marine (YML) was established on December 28, 1972, with its headquarters in Keelung, Taiwan. As of the end of December 2006, YML operated 80 vessels, with a total capacity of up to 4.1 million deadweight tons / 321,000 TEU. Its fleet included container ships, bulk carriers, and coal carriers operated on behalf of Taiwan Power Company. Yang Ming Marine is one of the companies with the youngest average fleet age worldwide.

Yang Ming Marine (YML) specializes in international scheduled container shipping. Its routes include Asia–Northwest North America, Asia–Southwest North America, Asia–U.S. East Coast, Asia–the Eastern and Western Mediterranean, Asia–Northern Europe, Asia–the Red Sea, Northern Europe–U.S. East Coast, Mediterranean–U.S. East Coast, India–U.S. East Coast, U.S. East Coast–South America, intra-Mediterranean, and intra-Asia services.

Yang Ming Marine (YML) has branches or offices in Taipei and Keelung in northern Taiwan, Taichung in central Taiwan, and Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan. Its services span Asia, the Americas, and Europe, reaching 63 countries, with more than 177 operating service locations worldwide.

Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation (YML) operates dedicated container terminals at the ports of Keelung, Kaohsiung, and Taipei in Taiwan, as well as Los Angeles and Tacoma in the United States, Antwerp in Belgium, and Rotterdam in the Netherlands, improving transport efficiency. It operates the only large-scale temperature-controlled logistics center with multiple temperature zones in the Port of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and has dedicated logistics facilities at major ports in Europe, the Americas, and mainland China, providing an efficient logistics network. YML has also established specialized container trucking companies in Taiwan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and China.

TOP10, ZIM

• Shipping line code: ZIM
• Shipping line English name: ZIM ISRAEL NAVIGATION CO., LTD.
• Shipping line Chinese name: ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd.
• Shipping line abbreviation: ZIM

ZIM is one of the world's largest container shipping companies. It is owned by Israel Corp., a subsidiary of Ofer Brothers Group Ltd. ZIM operates 27 scheduled liner services reaching every continent, with a fleet of more than 90 vessels calling at 265 ports around the world.

ZIM's first ship was the Kedmah, formerly part of the British Navy. It served in World War II and flew a flag with seven stars, which later became ZIM's emblem.
An important step in ZIM's development of container shipping came in 1970, when its leader at the time, Moshe Kashti, made the major decision to change the company's direction and focus on containers, which were better suited to modern transportation. The company ordered six container ships from Italy and Germany and began specializing in container transport. After Moshe Kashti's death, his successor, Yehuda Rotem, greatly expanded container shipping and launched three major routes: the Far East, the United States, and Europe. This marked the beginning of ZIM's global transportation network.