The container shipping sector closed 2025 with clear signs of structural strength, according to analyses published by Alphaliner throughout January 2026. Fleet expansion, asset values, the adoption of environmental technology, and scrapping activity paint a picture of an active, capital-intensive industry that is highly concentrated in the hands of large operators.
MSC once again saw the highest growth among regular line carriers in 2025. Among the twelve companies that individually control more than 1% of the global container transport capacity, the combined fleet grew by 7.3% year-on-year, equivalent to 2.14 million TEUs added. Of that total, MSC contributed 831,400 TEUs, representing 39% of the global increase. The Geneva-based carrier expanded its fleet by 11.7% during the fiscal year, widening the distance from Maersk, which ranked second in the global standings, to 2.5 million TEUs, compared to a 1.9 million difference recorded a year earlier.
This result extends a established trend in recent years. MSC was already the carrier with the highest growth among major operators in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. In 2025, the expansion was primarily supported by the delivery of 54 newbuild vessels, totaling 695,185 TEUs, along with continued acquisitions in the second-hand market. Other carriers that recorded growth above the average were PIL, HMM, Evergreen, and Wan Hai Lines, while ZIM was the only company among the top ten to reduce capacity after several years of aggressive expansion. Although CMA CGM continued to close the gap with Maersk in absolute terms of capacity, Alphaliner does not foresee a change in the ranking between the two carriers during 2026, given the existing order books.
The container ship buying and selling market for continued operation also remained strong throughout 2025, despite uncertainty about a possible future excess of capacity. Revised data in January indicate that 332 cellular container ships, with an aggregated capacity of 859,000 TEUs, were sold during the year to continue operating, figures very close to the transaction volumes of 2024. Although activity was clearly below the exceptional peak of 2021, market conditions favored sellers.
The demand for spot tonnage without charter contracts remained strong, prices remained stable, and the availability of vessels in the market continued to be limited. The most active segment was for 900 to 2,000 TEUs, where 162 units changed hands, a significant increase compared to 2024. Vessels in the range of 2,000 to 5,100 TEUs also recorded notable demand, while activity above 10,000 TEUs was reduced. Overall, asset values remained sustained throughout 2025, even as freight markets softened in the second half of the year.
In terms of environmental technology, data published in January 2026 shows that the adoption of scrubbers reached a record high in absolute terms, although its growth rate slowed notably. As of January 20, 2026, 42% of the global cellular container fleet was equipped with these exhaust gas washing systems, equivalent to 1,543 vessels and 13.9 million TEUs.
The slowdown is due to several converging factors: the entry into service of newbuild vessels powered by alternative fuels, the tightening of environmental regulations, and the reduction of the price differential between heavy fuel oil and low sulfur fuels. In Rotterdam, the average fuel price differential in 2025 fell to 56 dollars per metric ton, down from 79 dollars in 2024 and 100 dollars in 2023, marking the lowest annual average since the IMO's sulfur limits took effect in 2020. Regulatory initiatives such as FuelEU Maritime and the "Fit for 55" legislative package further reduce the long-term attractiveness of scrubbers by penalizing higher global emissions tied to increased energy consumption.
One of the most telling signs of market strength in 2025 was the exceptionally low level of scrapping activity. According to Alphaliner's review published in January, only twelve container ships with a total capacity of 8,172 TEUs were scrapped during the year, the lowest figure in two decades. The contrast is notable both with 2024 and with historical peaks, such as that of 2016. Strong demand for chartering and attractive income levels encouraged shipowners to keep even older vessels in operation rather than send them for recycling.
The majority of scrapping activity corresponded to small vessels below 1,000 TEUs, with an average scrapping age of 30 years. Demolition prices softened slightly in the Indian subcontinent during 2025, but remained at historically high levels, closing the year between 400 and 430 dollars per LDT, while in Turkey they stabilized in the range of 270 to 290 dollars per LDT.
Data collected by Alphaliner throughout January 2026 configures a closing of the 2025 fiscal year in which fleet growth concentrated on the largest operators, asset markets remained active, environmental investment decisions evolved, and scrapping activity practically came to a halt. The container shipping sector began 2026 with high asset utilization and a solid structural dynamic, in a context where market participants remain cautious about the balance between new deliveries, regulation, and demand growth.