CMA CGM CLOSE TO TOP SPOT IN INTRA-MEDITERRANEAN

CMA CGM is on the verge of surpassing Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) to become the leading operator within the Mediterranean, according to Alphaliner’s latest analysis. The French carrier has notably bolstered its position by expanding both its fleet size and deploying larger vessels in the region compared to a year ago.

CMA CGM is about to surpass MSC as the largest intra-Mediterranean operator

Presently, CMA CGM operates an impressive fleet of 60 ships, totaling over 96,000 TEUs within the intra-Mediterranean market, having added six vessels in the current year. Notably, the average size of their deployed fleet has risen from 1,433 TEU last year to 1,677 TEU this year.

This strategic enhancement has propelled CMA CGM to claim a market share of 19.9% within the intra-Mediterranean, closely trailing MSC’s 22%. Remarkably, while other carriers have been decreasing their exposure in this market, CMA CGM has taken proactive measures to expand its operations. MSC’s market share has dwindled from 24% in 2022, and Maersk Line has similarly reduced its share from 15% to 11% by cutting over 10,000 TEUs from the intra-Mediterranean market.

CMA CGM’s recent introduction of three new services – Greece-Turkey-Libya, Turkey-Libya, and Greece-Turkey-Poti loops – Has significantly contributed an additional 11,000 TEUs of capacity to their portfolio. Notably, the company has historically maintained a robust presence in services to and from North Africa, particularly the Maghreb states, with 87.3% of its total intra-Mediterranean capacity allocated to services connecting at least one Maghreb port. Compared to a year ago, CMA CGM has increased its capacity to the Maghreb by 40.4%.

Despite mainline operators continuing to dominate the Mediterranean short-sea segment, collectively holding 66% of the market share, there has been a decline of 5% in their combined share over the past year. Major players like Maersk and ZIM Line have notably withdrawn a considerable amount of capacity from the market, contributing to this decline.

Although Maersk and ZIM Line have reduced their capacity, mainline operators still hold up to 66% of the market share in intra-Mediterranean

ZIM, previously holding a 3.8% market share in 2022, has experienced a notable decrease to 2.2% within the past twelve months, dropping two ranks to the eighth position. Similarly, Turkish short-sea carrier Akkon Lines has made advancements ahead. Notably, Haifa-based ZIM has drastically reduced its intra-European capacity by 69.1%, equivalent to 5,000 TEU in just a year. This reduction involves a significant downsizing of the average ship size in its Israel-Turkey TBX loop, plummeting from 3,143 TEU to merely 1,984 TEU, alongside the closure of its Turkey-Egypt TEX loop.

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