Ninety per cent of everything you own arrived by sea, and most of it arrived in a steel box. This guide maps the companies that carry those boxes: the 22 operating container lines of world scale, ranked on the industry's common measure — operated fleet capacity in TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units), owned and chartered ships together, per Alphaliner, September 2026 — plus one heritage entry, clearly marked, for the line whose collapse taught the industry its limits.
The field is concentrated to a degree no antitrust authority in any other industry would tolerate: the top ten carriers control about 85 per cent of world capacity, and they cooperate in three alliances — Gemini, the Ocean Alliance and the Premier Alliance — that set the effective shape of world trade. Each entry names the carrier's leadership with exact titles, its alliance, its principal trades and its published contacts.
A note on basis: fleet figures are operated capacity, not cargo carried, and they move daily; each is dated. Where a carrier's executive team is not published in English-language sources to this guide's standard, the cell says so rather than guess.
THE GLOBAL MAJORS
1. MSC MEDITERRANEAN SHIPPING COMPANY
Switzerland — Geneva · Founded 1970
Category: Container liner (private)
Region: Europe
HQ Country: Switzerland
Founded: 1970
History: Founded in Naples in 1970 by Captain Gianluigi Aponte with one second-hand vessel; grew by acquisition and chartering into the world's largest container line, overtaking Maersk in operated capacity in January 2022. Still wholly family-owned.
Ownership / Parent: Private — Aponte family (founder Gianluigi Aponte and family)
Leadership: Gianluigi Aponte — Founder and Group Chairman; Søren Toft — Chief Executive Officer (since December 2020)
Full C-Suite / Senior Leadership: MSC is privately held and does not publish a full C-suite on the Western listed-company model; the named executive leadership is the Chairman and the CEO, with the wider Aponte family in senior roles. Stated plainly rather than reconstructed from directories.
Specialties: Global container liner shipping on every major trade; the largest newbuilding programme in the industry; terminals via Terminal Investment Limited (TiL); wider group spans cruises (MSC Cruises, Explora Journeys), ferries (GNV), air cargo (MSC Air Cargo) and logistics (MEDLOG)
Fleet (vessels and TEU, dated): Operated fleet about 7,396,906 TEU, ranked No. 1 worldwide — Operated fleet (owned + chartered), Alphaliner Top 100 via Logistics Management, early September 2026. The largest container orderbook in the industry (about 3.39 million TEU on order per Alphaliner, October 2026)
Alliance / Cooperation: Independent — operates its own network outside the alliance system since the 2M split with Maersk (2025); slot cooperation on selected trades
Clients / Customers: Shippers, freight forwarders and NVOCCs on all major trades; among the largest carriers for most global forwarders
Scale (dated): World's largest container fleet: ~7.40 million TEU operated, 21.5% world share (Alphaliner, September 2026); group revenue not published (private)
Offices / Footprint: Agencies in 155 countries; about 675 offices worldwide (MSC-published figures)
Website: msc.com
Contact Email: Not published (contact via the local agency directory at msc.com)
Phone: +41 22 703 8888
HQ Address: 12–14 Chemin Rieu, 1208 Geneva, Switzerland
Distinctiveness: The only carrier of its scale that is still a family company — no listing, no alliance, and a founder still in the chairman's office
Access / Entry: Book via local MSC agency (directory on msc.com), the myMSC digital platform, or any major freight forwarder
Notes: Fleet figures are operated capacity (owned plus chartered-in tonnage), the standard Alphaliner basis used throughout this guide
Sources: Alphaliner Top 100 (September–October 2026); msc.com corporate pages; MSC press releases
2. A.P. MOLLER – MAERSK (MAERSK LINE)
Denmark — Copenhagen · Founded 1904
Category: Container liner and integrated logistics (listed)
Region: Europe
HQ Country: Denmark
Founded: 1904
History: Founded in Svendborg in 1904 by A.P. Møller and his father; built the world's largest container line through the acquisitions of Safmarine (1999), P&O Nedlloyd (2005) and Hamburg Süd (2017); since 2016 repositioned from conglomerate to integrated container-logistics group.
Ownership / Parent: A.P. Moller – Maersk A/S, listed in Copenhagen (Nasdaq Copenhagen: MAERSK); A.P. Møller Holding is the anchor shareholder
Leadership: Robert M. Uggla — Chair of the Board; Vincent Clerc — Chief Executive Officer (since 1 January 2023)
Full C-Suite / Senior Leadership: Executive Board (per maersk.com): Vincent Clerc, CEO; Patrick Jany, Chief Financial Officer; Karsten Kildahl, Chief Commercial Officer; Rabab Boulos, Chief Operating Officer; Silvia Ding, Chief Technology & Information Officer (titles as published by Maersk)
Specialties: Container liner shipping plus end-to-end contract logistics, warehousing, air freight and terminals (APM Terminals); industry leader in methanol dual-fuel newbuildings (first large methanol vessel, Laura Maersk, 2023)
Fleet (vessels and TEU, dated): Operated fleet about 4,749,620 TEU, ranked No. 2 — Operated fleet (owned + chartered), Alphaliner Top 100 via Logistics Management, early September 2026
Alliance / Cooperation: Gemini Cooperation with Hapag-Lloyd (from 1 February 2025), built around hub-and-shuttle networks and a 90% schedule-reliability ambition
Clients / Customers: Among the largest customers of any carrier: global retailers, automotive and consumer majors on long-term contracts; also the largest carrier for many national export trades
Scale (dated): Group revenue US$55.5 billion in FY2024 (annual report); operated container fleet ~4.75 million TEU, 13.8% world share (Alphaliner, September 2026)
Offices / Footprint: Operations in 130+ countries; APM Terminals operates 60+ terminals and inland facilities in 30+ countries
Website: maersk.com
Contact Email: Not published (contact forms and local offices via maersk.com)
Phone: +45 33 63 33 63
HQ Address: Esplanaden 50, 1263 Copenhagen K, Denmark
Distinctiveness: The line that industrialised container shipping (Malcom McLean's rival and heir) now selling the whole journey, port to door, on one contract
Access / Entry: Digital booking at maersk.com (Maersk Spot and contract products) or via forwarders
Sources: Alphaliner Top 100 (September 2026); maersk.com (leadership and annual report 2024); Maersk press releases
3. CMA CGM GROUP
France — Marseille · Founded 1978
Category: Container liner and logistics (private)
Region: Europe
HQ Country: France
Founded: 1978
History: Jacques Saadé founded Compagnie Maritime d'Affrètement (CMA) in Marseille in 1978; merged with the state-owned CGM in 1999 to form CMA CGM; acquired Delmas, APL (2016), CEVA Logistics (2019) and Bolloré Logistics (2024); also owns the air-cargo group and media interests in France.
Ownership / Parent: Private — Saadé family majority (via Merit), with Bpifrance a minority shareholder since 2023
Leadership: Rodolphe Saadé — Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Full C-Suite / Senior Leadership: Executive committee (per cmacgm-group.com): Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman & CEO; Ramon Fernandez, Chief Financial Officer; Christine Cabau, EVP Assets; Tanya Saadé Zeenny, Executive Officer; the full committee is published on the group site
Specialties: Container shipping (No. 3 worldwide), contract logistics (CEVA), air cargo (CMA CGM Air Cargo), terminals (Terminal Link, CMA Terminals); French-flag fleet and the largest LNG dual-fuel container fleet among the top three
Fleet (vessels and TEU, dated): Operated fleet about 4,396,100 TEU, ranked No. 3 — Operated fleet (owned + chartered), Alphaliner Top 100 via Logistics Management, early September 2026; the largest orderbook of the top three (159 vessels per Alphaliner, H1 2026)
Alliance / Cooperation: Ocean Alliance (with COSCO Shipping, Evergreen and OOCL), extended through 2032
Clients / Customers: Global shippers and forwarders; CEVA serves automotive, healthcare, aerospace and consumer majors
Scale (dated): Group revenue US$55.5 billion in FY2024 (company results); operated fleet ~4.40 million TEU, 12.8% world share (Alphaliner, September 2026)
Offices / Footprint: Present in 160 countries with 400+ offices; 160,000+ employees group-wide (company figures)
Website: cmacgm-group.com
Contact Email: Not published (contact via local agencies at cma-cgm.com)
Phone: +33 4 88 66 65 00
HQ Address: Boulevard Jacques-Saade, Quai du Lazaret, 13235 Marseille Cedex 02, France (CMA CGM Tower)
Distinctiveness: A family shipping line that became a state-scale logistics group; the Saadé family also controls French media assets (La Provence, La Tribune, RMC/BFM stake)
Access / Entry: Online booking at cma-cgm.com, CEVA for contract logistics, or via forwarders
Sources: Alphaliner Top 100 (September 2026); cmacgm-group.com; CMA CGM results releases
4. COSCO SHIPPING LINES (COSCO GROUP, INCL. OOCL)
China — Shanghai · Founded 2016 (group); container lineage to 1961
Category: Container liner (state-owned, listed arms)
Region: Asia
HQ Country: China
Founded: 2016 (group); container lineage to 1961
History: China COSCO Shipping Corporation was formed in 2016 by the state-directed merger of COSCO Group and China Shipping Group; the listed vehicle COSCO Shipping Holdings operates COSCO Shipping Lines and owns Orient Overseas (OOCL), acquired in 2018 for US$6.3 billion.
Ownership / Parent: China COSCO Shipping Corporation Ltd (state-owned, SASAC); COSCO Shipping Holdings listed in Shanghai (601919) and Hong Kong (1919)
Leadership: Wan Min — Chairman, COSCO Shipping Holdings (re-appointed chairman of the eighth session of the board, effective 1 July 2026, per HKEX filings); Zhang Feng — Vice Chairman; Tao Weidong — General Manager of the listed company. Parent group: Lin Ji — President, China COSCO Shipping Corporation (appointed April 2026)
Full C-Suite / Senior Leadership: Senior management of the listed company is published in its HKEX announcements and annual report; group-level appointments are made through the SASAC personnel system
Specialties: The dominant carrier on intra-Asia and Asia–Europe trades; dual brands (COSCO Shipping Lines and the premium OOCL); state fleet scale in bulk, tanker and specialised carriers through sister companies; ports arm COSCO Shipping Ports
Fleet (vessels and TEU, dated): Operated group fleet about 3,647,142 TEU (COSCO Lines + OOCL), ranked No. 4 — Operated fleet (owned + chartered), Alphaliner Top 100 via Logistics Management, early September 2026. The listed company reports a self-operated fleet of about 3.60 million TEU / 590 ships at 31 December 2025 (annual report)
Alliance / Cooperation: Ocean Alliance (with CMA CGM, Evergreen and OOCL), extended through 2032
Clients / Customers: Chinese state and private exporters, global forwarders; OOCL serves premium contract shippers
Scale (dated): Container liftings 27.43 million TEU in FY2025; container-shipping revenue CNY 210.7 billion in FY2025 (COSCO Shipping Holdings annual report); operated fleet ~3.65 million TEU, 10.6% world share (Alphaliner, September 2026)
Offices / Footprint: Container network in 140+ countries; COSCO Shipping Ports operates terminals in 30+ ports worldwide
Website: lines.coscoshipping.com
Contact Email: Not published (contact via local agencies)
Phone: +86 21 6596 6666 (group)
HQ Address: COSCO Shipping Holdings: 378 Dong Da Ming Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai, China (group HQ); OOCL HQ: Harbour Centre, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Distinctiveness: A trade ministry afloat: the fleet of the world's largest exporting nation, run as an instrument of state as well as a business
Access / Entry: Via COSCO Shipping Lines and OOCL local agencies and digital platforms, or forwarders
Notes: The Alphaliner "COSCO Group" figure consolidates COSCO Shipping Lines and OOCL; the two brands are operated and sold separately
Sources: Alphaliner Top 100 (September 2026); COSCO Shipping Holdings annual report 2025 and HKEX announcements (March–July 2026)
5. HAPAG-LLOYD
Germany — Hamburg · Founded 1970 (lines founded 1847 and 1857)
Category: Container liner (listed)
Region: Europe
HQ Country: Germany
Founded: 1970 (lines founded 1847 and 1857)
History: Formed in 1970 by the merger of Hamburg-American Line (1847) and North German Lloyd (1857); absorbed CP Ships (2005), CSAV's container business (2014), UASC (2017) and NileDutch (2021); now also building a terminal portfolio (Hanseatic Global Terminals).
Ownership / Parent: Hapag-Lloyd AG, listed in Frankfurt (HLAG); anchor shareholders: City of Hamburg (HGV), Klaus-Michael Kühne (Kühne Maritime), Qatar Holding and Saudi PIF
Leadership: Michael Behrendt — Chairman of the Supervisory Board; Rolf Habben Jansen — Chief Executive Officer (since 2014)
Full C-Suite / Senior Leadership: Executive Board (per hapag-lloyd.com): Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO; Mark Frese, CFO; Dr Maximilian Rothkopf, COO; Jesper Kanstrup, Chief Commercial Officer; Angela Titzrath, Chief Human Resources Officer (titles as published)
Specialties: Premium-positioned global liner with the youngest fleet among the top five on average age in recent years; quality and schedule-reliability branding ("Quality Promise"); growing terminal arm
Fleet (vessels and TEU, dated): Operated fleet about 2,399,518 TEU, ranked No. 5 — Operated fleet (owned + chartered), Alphaliner Top 100 via Logistics Management, early September 2026
Alliance / Cooperation: Gemini Cooperation with Maersk (from 1 February 2025)
Clients / Customers: Contract shippers and forwarders; strong share of German and Central-European export trades
Scale (dated): Group revenue €19.1 billion in FY2024 (annual report); operated fleet ~2.40 million TEU, 7.0% world share (Alphaliner, September 2026)
Offices / Footprint: Offices in 140 countries (company figure)
Website: hapag-lloyd.com
Contact Email: Not published (contact forms via hapag-lloyd.com)
Phone: +49 40 3001 0
HQ Address: Ballindamm 25, 20095 Hamburg, Germany
Distinctiveness: The survivor of the German shipping tradition — the only top-five carrier still anchored by its home port city as a shareholder
Access / Entry: Digital booking at hapag-lloyd.com (Quick Quotes) or via forwarders
Sources: Alphaliner Top 100 (September 2026); hapag-lloyd.com; Hapag-Lloyd annual report 2024
6. OCEAN NETWORK EXPRESS (ONE)
Singapore — Singapore · Founded 2017 (operations from 1 April 2018)
Category: Container liner (joint venture)
Region: Asia
HQ Country: Singapore
Founded: 2017 (operations from 1 April 2018)
History: Created in 2017 by merging the container businesses of Japan's three great lines — NYK, MOL and K Line — into a single Singapore-headquartered carrier with a magenta livery; began operations on 1 April 2018 with about 1.5 million TEU.
Ownership / Parent: Joint venture of Nippon Yusen (NYK, 38%), Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (31%) and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line, 31%)
Leadership: Till Ole Barrelet — Chief Executive Officer (from 1 July 2026, succeeding founding CEO Jeremy Nixon, who moved to Senior Advisor); Jotaro Tamura — Representative Director and Chairman of the Board, ONE Holdings
Full C-Suite / Senior Leadership: From 1 July 2026 ONE runs an Executive Management Team of the CEO plus seven divisional representatives, with six regional leaders reporting to the CEO (company succession announcement, February 2026)
Specialties: The integrated heir of the three Japanese lines; strong on trans-Pacific and intra-Asia; distinctive magenta ships and containers; ONE2030 strategy of fleet renewal and growth
Fleet (vessels and TEU, dated): Operated fleet about 2,171,922 TEU across 260+ vessels, ranked No. 6 — Operated fleet (owned + chartered), Alphaliner Top 100 via Logistics Management, early September 2026
Alliance / Cooperation: Premier Alliance (with HMM and Yang Ming, from February 2025); slot cooperation with MSC on Asia–North Europe
Clients / Customers: Japanese industrial shippers (autos, electronics) and global forwarders
Scale (dated): Operated fleet ~2.17 million TEU, 6.3% world share (Alphaliner, September 2026); revenue per shareholder-company reporting (unlisted JV)
Offices / Footprint: Global HQ Singapore (Marina One); regional HQs in Hong Kong, London, Richmond (Virginia) and São Paulo; offices in 120 countries (company figures)
Website: one-line.com
Contact Email: Not published (local office directory at one-line.com)
Phone: +65 6221 8899 (Singapore HQ)
HQ Address: 7 Straits View, Marina One East Tower, #16-04/05/06, Singapore 018936
Distinctiveness: Three 19th-century Japanese shipping houses sailing as one pink fleet — the most complete merger the industry has achieved
Access / Entry: Booking via one-line.com (ONE e-Business), local offices or forwarders
Notes: CEO succession verified: Barrelet joined as CEO-designate on 1 May 2026 and took office 1 July 2026
Sources: Alphaliner Top 100 (September 2026); ONE CEO succession announcements (February–July 2026); one-line.com
7. EVERGREEN LINE (EVERGREEN MARINE CORP.)
Taiwan — Taipei · Founded 1968
Category: Container liner (listed)
Region: Asia
HQ Country: Taiwan
Founded: 1968
History: Founded by Dr Chang Yung-fa in 1968 with one second-hand general cargo ship; launched full container services in 1975 and for a period in the 1980s–90s was the world's largest container line; the container fleet sails under Evergreen Marine (Taiwan) and sister companies in the UK, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Ownership / Parent: Evergreen Marine Corporation, listed in Taipei (2603); Evergreen group controlled by the Chang family interests
Leadership: Chang Yen-i — Chairman; Wu Kuang-hui — President
Full C-Suite / Senior Leadership: The listed company publishes its board and senior officers in its annual report and Taiwan Stock Exchange filings; it does not maintain a Western-style C-suite roster publicly — stated plainly
Specialties: East–West trunk routes with a large owned fleet and a heavy newbuilding programme of methanol dual-fuel ships; group includes EVA Air and Evergreen's terminal interests
Fleet (vessels and TEU, dated): Operated fleet about 2,022,899 TEU, ranked No. 7 — Operated fleet (owned + chartered), Alphaliner Top 100 via Logistics Management, early September 2026
Alliance / Cooperation: Ocean Alliance (with CMA CGM, COSCO Shipping and OOCL), extended through 2032
Clients / Customers: Taiwanese and Chinese exporters, global forwarders; strong electronics trade share
Scale (dated): Operated fleet ~2.02 million TEU, 5.9% world share (Alphaliner, September 2026); revenue per TWSE filings
Offices / Footprint: Service network in 315+ locations in 110+ countries (company figures)
Website: evergreen-line.com
Contact Email: Not published (agency directory at evergreen-line.com)
Phone: +886 2 2505 7766
HQ Address: 166 Minsheng East Road, Section 2, Zhongshan District, Taipei, Taiwan (Evergreen Marine HQ)
Distinctiveness: The green fleet of the Chang family — a shipping line that also built one of Asia's great airlines and a maritime museum in Taipei
Access / Entry: Booking via evergreen-line.com (ShipmentLink), local agencies or forwarders
Sources: Alphaliner Top 100 (September 2026); Evergreen Marine annual report and TWSE filings; evergreen-line.com
8. HMM CO., LTD.
South Korea — Seoul (relocating to Busan) · Founded 1976
Category: Container liner (listed, state-anchored)
Region: Asia
HQ Country: South Korea
Founded: 1976
History: Founded in 1976 as Hyundai Merchant Marine with three tankers; became South Korea's surviving national carrier after Hanjin's collapse (2016–17) and a state-led restructuring; took delivery of the then-largest container ships in the world (twelve 24,000 TEU units) in 2020; marks its 50th anniversary in 2026 and is relocating its headquarters from Seoul to Busan under government policy, opening a temporary Busan HQ in October 2026.
Ownership / Parent: HMM Co., Ltd., listed in Seoul (011200); Korea Development Bank and Korea Ocean Business Corporation are the controlling public shareholders (a privatisation process has been under way since 2023)
Leadership: Choi Won-hyuk — President and Chief Executive Officer (since March 2025; term extension to March 2028 proposed in October 2026)
Full C-Suite / Senior Leadership: Executive officers are published in Korean regulatory filings (DART); a full English-language C-suite roster is not maintained publicly — stated plainly
Specialties: South Korea's flagship carrier; ultra-large container vessels on Asia–Europe; growing tanker, bulk and car-carrier fleets; "Move Beyond Maritime" 2030 strategy launched March 2026
Fleet (vessels and TEU, dated): Operated fleet about 1,036,129 TEU, ranked No. 8 — Operated fleet (owned + chartered), Alphaliner Top 100 via Logistics Management, early September 2026; more than KRW 12 trillion of investment since March 2025, including eight 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel newbuildings ordered October 2026
Alliance / Cooperation: Premier Alliance (with ONE and Yang Ming, from February 2025)
Clients / Customers: Korean industrial exporters (electronics, autos, batteries) and global forwarders
Scale (dated): Operated fleet ~1.04 million TEU, 3.0% world share (Alphaliner, September 2026); revenue per KRX filings
Offices / Footprint: Offices in 60+ countries; HQ moving from Yeouido, Seoul to Busan (temporary Busan HQ opened October 2026)
Website: hmm21.com
Contact Email: Not published (local office contacts at hmm21.com)
Phone: +82 2 3706 5114
HQ Address: 108 Yeoui-daero, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (HQ relocating to Busan)
Distinctiveness: The phoenix of Korean shipping: it absorbed Hanjin's role, its people and its trades, and now sails as the state-backed national champion
Access / Entry: Booking via hmm21.com digital platform, local offices or forwarders
Notes: HMM is the principal heir of Hanjin's network: see the heritage entry below
Sources: Alphaliner Top 100 (September 2026); HMM announcements and Korean press (March–October 2026); hmm21.com
9. YANG MING MARINE TRANSPORT CORP.
Taiwan — Keelung · Founded 1972
Category: Container liner (listed, state-linked)
Region: Asia
HQ Country: Taiwan
Founded: 1972
History: Founded in 1972 in Keelung; Taiwan's second container line, with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the National Development Fund holding about a third of the shares; a member of THE Alliance from 2017 and its successor the Premier Alliance.
Ownership / Parent: Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation, listed in Taipei (2609); MOTC and National Development Fund are the largest shareholders (~33%)
Leadership: Professor Feng-Ming Tsai — Chairman (elected 26 July 2024, as the MOTC's corporate representative); Cliff Pai — President
Full C-Suite / Senior Leadership: Board and officers are published in the company's ESG/governance disclosures and TWSE filings
Specialties: Global container services with strengths in trans-Pacific and intra-Asia; state-linked governance with academic leadership (Chairman Tsai is a transportation professor from National Taiwan Ocean University)
Fleet (vessels and TEU, dated): Operated fleet about 755,680 TEU, ranked No. 9 — Operated fleet (owned + chartered), Alphaliner Top 100 via Logistics Management, early September 2026
Alliance / Cooperation: Premier Alliance (with ONE and HMM, from February 2025)
Clients / Customers: Taiwanese exporters and global forwarders
Scale (dated): Operated fleet ~756,000 TEU, 2.2% world share (Alphaliner, September 2026)
Offices / Footprint: Offices and agents in 40+ countries (company figures); HQ and principal terminal operations at Keelung and Kaohsiung
Website: yangming.com
Contact Email: Not published (agency contacts at yangming.com)
Phone: +886 2 2455 9988
HQ Address: 271 Ming De 1st Road, Qidu District, Keelung, Taiwan
Distinctiveness: A listed carrier chaired by a professor — the MOTC's appointee system gives Yang Ming the most academic boardroom in world shipping
Access / Entry: Booking via yangming.com, local agencies or forwarders
Sources: Alphaliner Top 100 (September 2026); Yang Ming governance disclosures (board attendance record to 31 December 2025); yangming.com
10. ZIM INTEGRATED SHIPPING SERVICES
Israel — Haifa · Founded 1945
Category: Container liner (listed)
Region: Middle East
HQ Country: Israel
Founded: 1945
History: Founded in 1945, before the State of Israel, to carry immigrants; privatised in 2004 (Israel Corporation / Idan Ofer's Kenon); listed on the NYSE in 2021 (ZIM); reinvented itself as an asset-light, charter-based niche carrier with express services from Asia to the US East Coast.
Ownership / Parent: ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd., listed NYSE: ZIM; Kenon Holdings is the largest shareholder; a management-led take-private proposal with shipowner Rami Ungar was reported in 2025–26
Leadership: Yair Seroussi — Chairman of the Board; Eli Glickman — President and Chief Executive Officer
Full C-Suite / Senior Leadership: Executive officers (per zim.com and SEC filings): Eli Glickman, President & CEO; Xavier Destriau, EVP Chief Financial Officer; the senior team is published on zim.com
Specialties: Asset-light model (over 85% of operated capacity chartered in); express e-commerce lanes (ZIM eCommerce Xpress), reefer and out-of-gauge cargo; early adopter of LNG dual-fuel tonnage on charter
Fleet (vessels and TEU, dated): Operated fleet about 702,036 TEU, ranked No. 10 — Operated fleet (owned + chartered), Alphaliner Top 100 via Logistics Management, early September 2026
Alliance / Cooperation: Independent; operational cooperation with MSC on selected trades (Asia–US East Coast and others)
Clients / Customers: E-commerce and time-sensitive shippers, forwarders; strong in Israel, Mediterranean and Asia–Americas trades
Scale (dated): Operated fleet ~702,000 TEU, 2.0% world share (Alphaliner, September 2026); revenue per SEC filings
Offices / Footprint: HQ Haifa; US HQ in Norfolk, Virginia; agencies in 100+ countries (company figures)
Website: zim.com
Contact Email: Not published (local office contacts at zim.com)
Phone: +972 4 865 2111
HQ Address: 9 Andrei Sakharov Street, Matam Park, Haifa, Israel
Distinctiveness: The only top-ten carrier that owns almost none of its ships — a chartering desk with a flag, and the industry's dividend outlier
Access / Entry: Digital booking via zim.com (ZIM’s myZIM and ZIMonitor products) or forwarders
Notes: Take-private reporting is noted as reported, not completed, as of October 2026
Sources: Alphaliner Top 100 (September 2026); zim.com; ZIM SEC filings
THE REGIONAL POWERS
11. WAN HAI LINES
Taiwan — Taipei · Founded 1965
Category: Container liner (listed)
Region: Asia
HQ Country: Taiwan
Founded: 1965
History: Founded in 1965 as a Taiwan–Japan log carrier; converted to containers and built the densest intra-Asia network of any independent line; since 2021 has expanded into trans-Pacific and India–Middle East services with a large newbuilding programme (30 vessels on order in 2024 reporting).
Ownership / Parent: Wan Hai Lines Ltd., listed in Taipei (2615); Chen family interests are the largest shareholders
Leadership: Chen Po-ting — Chairman; Tommy Hsieh — General Manager (per company disclosures)
Full C-Suite / Senior Leadership: Officers are published in TWSE filings; a separate public C-suite roster is not maintained in English — stated plainly
Specialties: Intra-Asia density: more port pairs within Asia than any other independent carrier; growing India and Middle East coverage; heavy fleet renewal
Fleet (vessels and TEU, dated): Operated fleet about 624,354 TEU, ranked No. 11 — Operated fleet (owned + chartered), Alphaliner Top 100 via Logistics Management, early September 2026
Alliance / Cooperation: Independent; slot-exchange agreements with regional partners
Clients / Customers: Intra-Asia regional shippers, electronics and consumer-goods exporters, forwarders
Scale (dated): Operated fleet ~624,000 TEU, 1.8% world share (Alphaliner, September 2026)
Offices / Footprint: Offices across Asia and the Americas; HQ Taipei
Website: wanhai.com
Contact Email: Not published (agency contacts at wanhai.com)
Phone: +886 2 2517 5799
HQ Address: 10F, 136 Songjiang Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei, Taiwan
Distinctiveness: The quiet Taiwanese: rarely in the headlines, almost always profitable, and the strongest pure intra-Asia franchise in the business
Access / Entry: Booking via wanhai.com, local agencies or forwarders
Sources: Alphaliner Top 100 (September 2026); Wan Hai filings and company site
12. PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL LINES (PIL)
Singapore — Singapore · Founded 1967
Category: Container liner (private, state-anchored)
Region: Asia
HQ Country: Singapore
Founded: 1967
History: Founded in 1967 by Chang Yun Chung (Y.C. Chang) with two coastal vessels; grew into Singapore's largest container line with a franchise in the South Pacific, Africa and emerging markets; restructured in 2021 with a bailout by Temasek's Heliconia Capital, which became majority shareholder.
Ownership / Parent: Private; Heliconia Capital Management (Temasek) majority shareholder since 2021; Teo family retains a significant stake
Leadership: Teo Siong Seng (S.S. Teo) — Executive Chairman (on leave of absence from 8 June 2026, see Notes); Lars Kastrup — Chief Executive Officer (per company announcements)
Full C-Suite / Senior Leadership: Executive team published at pilship.com; the chairman's leave of absence and its reason are stated in the Notes rather than glossed
Specialties: Emerging-market trades: Africa, South Pacific islands, Middle East, Red Sea, South Asia and Latin America; owner of container manufacturer Singamas
Fleet (vessels and TEU, dated): Operated fleet about 472,200 TEU, ranked No. 12 — Operated fleet (owned + chartered), Alphaliner Top 100 via Logistics Management, early September 2026
Alliance / Cooperation: Independent; vessel-sharing agreements on selected trades
Clients / Customers: Emerging-market shippers and forwarders; island-nation trades in the Pacific
Scale (dated): Operated fleet ~472,000 TEU, 1.4% world share (Alphaliner, September 2026)
Offices / Footprint: Offices and agents in 90+ countries (company figures); HQ Singapore
Website: pilship.com
Contact Email: Not published (local contacts at pilship.com)
Phone: +65 6221 8133
HQ Address: 128 Beach Road, #15-01 Guoco Midtown, Singapore
Distinctiveness: The emerging-markets line: where the majors run trunk routes, PIL runs the map's edges — and its family also builds the boxes (Singamas)
Access / Entry: Booking via pilship.com, local agents or forwarders
Notes: In May 2026 the US Department of Justice indicted four container manufacturers and seven executives, including PIL Executive Chairman S.S. Teo (also Singamas chairman/CEO), alleging a 2019–2024 price-fixing conspiracy. Teo denies the allegations, has taken leave of absence from PIL and his Singapore public roles from June 2026 to contest the case, and Singamas states it will fight the charges. The allegations are unproven; reported here because they bear directly on the leadership of two entries in this guide family (see Singamas in The World's Container Companies)
Sources: Alphaliner Top 100 (September 2026); pilship.com; Splash 247, The Loadstar and Seatrade Maritime reports (May–June 2026)
13. KMTC (KOREA MARINE TRANSPORT CO.)
South Korea — Seoul · Founded 1954
Category: Container liner (listed)
Region: Asia
HQ Country: South Korea
Founded: 1954
History: Founded in 1954; one of Korea's oldest liner companies, built as an intra-Asia and Japan–Korea specialist; listed on the Korea Exchange.
Ownership / Parent: KMTC Co., Ltd., listed KRX: 005940
Leadership: Senior leadership is published in Korean filings; no current English-language named CEO roster could be verified at the standard of this guide — admitted rather than guessed
Full C-Suite / Senior Leadership: Not published in English-language sources checked — admitted
Specialties: Intra-Asia services linking Korea, Japan, China, Southeast Asia and India; refrigerated and special cargo
Fleet (vessels and TEU, dated): Operated fleet about 157,748 TEU — Operated fleet (owned + chartered), Alphaliner Top 100 via Logistics Management, early September 2026
Alliance / Cooperation: Independent; slot agreements with regional partners
Clients / Customers: Korean and regional shippers, forwarders
Scale (dated): Operated fleet ~158,000 TEU (Alphaliner, September 2026)
Offices / Footprint: HQ Seoul; branch network across Asia
Website: kmtc.co.kr
Contact Email: Not published
Phone: +82 2 6230 8000 (per company site)
HQ Address: Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea (HQ per company site)
Distinctiveness: The dean of Korean regional shipping — older than the container era it now serves
Access / Entry: Via kmtc.co.kr and local offices
Notes: Leadership gap admitted: Korean-language filings would be needed to name the current executive team to this guide's standard
Sources: Alphaliner Top 100 (September 2026); kmtc.co.kr
14. SITC INTERNATIONAL
China — Shanghai / Hong Kong · Founded 1991
Category: Container liner and logistics (listed)
Region: Asia
HQ Country: China
Founded: 1991
History: Founded in 1991 in Shandong; built a high-frequency intra-Asia container network on the Japanese model of port-pair density; listed in Hong Kong in 2010; consistently among the most profitable carriers per TEU in Asia.
Ownership / Parent: SITC International Holdings Co., Ltd., listed HKEX: 1308; founder Yang Shaopeng is the controlling shareholder
Leadership: Yang Shaopeng — Chairman; Yang Xianxiang — Chief Executive Officer
Full C-Suite / Senior Leadership: Board and senior management published in HKEX filings and the annual report
Specialties: Intra-Asia high-frequency services (multiple weekly sailings on core port pairs); integrated logistics, warehousing and freight forwarding in China and ASEAN
Fleet (vessels and TEU, dated): Operated fleet about 186,241 TEU — Operated fleet (owned + chartered), Alphaliner Top 100 via Logistics Management, early September 2026
Alliance / Cooperation: Independent
Clients / Customers: Intra-Asia shippers, Japanese and Chinese forwarders
Scale (dated): Operated fleet ~186,000 TEU (Alphaliner, September 2026); revenue per HKEX filings
Offices / Footprint: Network across China, Japan, Korea and ASEAN; HQ functions in Shanghai and Hong Kong
Website: sitc.com
Contact Email: Not published
Phone: Per company site
HQ Address: Shanghai, China (principal place of business per annual report)
Distinctiveness: The punctuality play: SITC sells frequency within Asia the way the majors sell scale across oceans
Access / Entry: Via sitc.com and local offices
Sources: Alphaliner Top 100 (September 2026); SITC annual report / HKEX filings
15. SINOKOR MERCHANT MARINE
South Korea — Seoul · Founded 1989
Category: Container liner and dry bulk (private)
Region: Asia
HQ Country: South Korea
Founded: 1989
History: Founded in 1989; grew from Russia Far East and China trades into a significant intra-Asia and long-haul operator; acquired a controlling stake in Heung-A Shipping's container business in 2019; also a substantial dry-bulk owner.
Ownership / Parent: Private — Chung family (Chairman Chung Tae-soon)
Leadership: Chung Tae-soon — Chairman
Full C-Suite / Senior Leadership: Private company; a fuller executive roster is not published in sources checked — admitted
Specialties: Intra-Asia and China–Russia trades; container plus bulk fleet; Korean-flag resilience fleet
Fleet (vessels and TEU, dated): Operated fleet about 119,453 TEU — Operated fleet (owned + chartered), Alphaliner Top 100 via Logistics Management, early September 2026
Alliance / Cooperation: Independent
Clients / Customers: Korean, Chinese and Russian Far East shippers
Scale (dated): Operated fleet ~119,000 TEU (Alphaliner, September 2026)
Offices / Footprint: HQ Seoul; offices in China, Japan, Russia Far East and Southeast Asia
Website: sinokor.co.kr
Contact Email: Not published
Phone: Per company site
HQ Address: Seoul, South Korea (per company site)
Distinctiveness: Korea's private survivor — built without state rescue money while its listed rivals were restructured
Access / Entry: Via sinokor.co.kr and local offices
Sources: Alphaliner Top 100 (September 2026); sinokor.co.kr; Korean maritime press
16. X-PRESS FEEDERS
Singapore — Singapore · Founded 1972
Category: Common feeder operator (private)
Region: Asia / global
HQ Country: Singapore
Founded: 1972
History: Founded in Singapore in 1972; the world's largest independent common feeder carrier — it carries other lines' containers between hub and regional ports and owns no cargo of its own; operates more than 100 vessels and has ordered methanol-ready feeders.
Ownership / Parent: Private — Hartnoll family interests
Leadership: Tim Hartnoll — Executive Chairman; Shmuel Yoskovitz — Chief Executive Officer
Full C-Suite / Senior Leadership: Senior team published at x-pressfeeders.com
Specialties: Feeder and transhipment services in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, the Americas and Africa; "Green Baltic X-Press" and other methanol-ready services; the neutral carrier behind the majors' regional networks
Fleet (vessels and TEU, dated): Operated fleet about 186,085 TEU — Operated fleet (owned + chartered), Alphaliner Top 100 via Logistics Management, early September 2026
Alliance / Cooperation: Independent by design (serves all alliances as a common carrier)
Clients / Customers: Its customers are the container lines themselves — the top ten of this guide
Scale (dated): Operated fleet ~186,000 TEU (Alphaliner, September 2026); 100+ vessels
Offices / Footprint: HQ Singapore; commercial hubs incl. Dubai, Hamburg, Panama and Mumbai
Website: x-pressfeeders.com
Contact Email: Not published (office contacts at x-pressfeeders.com)
Phone: Per company site
HQ Address: Singapore (HQ per company site)
Distinctiveness: The lines' line: the largest carrier in the world that sells not a single slot to a cargo owner
Access / Entry: B2B only — capacity sold to container lines and NVOCCs
Sources: Alphaliner Top 100 (September 2026); x-pressfeeders.com
17. TS LINES
Taiwan — Taipei · Founded 2001
Category: Container liner (listed)
Region: Asia
HQ Country: Taiwan
Founded: 2001
History: Founded in 2001 by Chen Te-Sheng after his departure from Wan Hai; grew from intra-Asia into Australia, India, East Africa and trans-Pacific services; listed in Hong Kong in 2024.
Ownership / Parent: T.S. Lines Ltd., listed HKEX: 2512 (2024); founder Chen Te-Sheng controlling
Leadership: Chen Te-Sheng — Chairman and founder
Full C-Suite / Senior Leadership: Board and officers published in HKEX filings
Specialties: Intra-Asia plus Australia and India services; opportunistic long-haul entries
Fleet (vessels and TEU, dated): Operated fleet about 118,692 TEU — Operated fleet (owned + chartered), Alphaliner Top 100 via Logistics Management, early September 2026
Alliance / Cooperation: Independent
Clients / Customers: Regional shippers and forwarders
Scale (dated): Operated fleet ~119,000 TEU (Alphaliner, September 2026)
Offices / Footprint: HQ Taipei with Hong Kong listing; offices across Asia and Oceania
Website: tslines.com
Contact Email: Not published
Phone: Per company site
HQ Address: Taipei, Taiwan (per company filings)
Distinctiveness: A founder's second act: Chen Te-Sheng left one Taiwanese line and built another into a top-twenty carrier
Access / Entry: Via tslines.com and local offices
Sources: Alphaliner Top 100 (September 2026); TS Lines HKEX filings
18. REGIONAL CONTAINER LINES (RCL)
Thailand — Bangkok · Founded 1979
Category: Container liner (listed)
Region: Asia
HQ Country: Thailand
Founded: 1979
History: Founded in 1979 in Bangkok; one of Southeast Asia's oldest listed carriers (SET since 1988); a feeder and intra-Asia operator linking Thailand with the region's hubs.
Ownership / Parent: Regional Container Lines Public Company Ltd., listed SET: RCL
Leadership: Twinchok Tanthuwanit — President (per company disclosures)
Full C-Suite / Senior Leadership: Board and management published in SET filings and the annual report
Specialties: Intra-Asia and feeder services from Thai ports; container ownership and regional logistics
Fleet (vessels and TEU, dated): Operated fleet about 91,433 TEU — Operated fleet (owned + chartered), Alphaliner Top 100 via Logistics Management, early September 2026
Alliance / Cooperation: Independent
Clients / Customers: Thai exporters and the global lines (feeder services)
Scale (dated): Operated fleet ~91,000 TEU (Alphaliner, September 2026)
Offices / Footprint: HQ Bangkok; offices across Asia
Website: rclgroup.com
Contact Email: Not published
Phone: +66 2 296 1000 (per company site)
HQ Address: Bangkok, Thailand (HQ per company site)
Distinctiveness: The Thai thread in the intra-Asia web — listed, regional and independent since 1979
Access / Entry: Via rclgroup.com and local offices
Sources: Alphaliner Top 100 (September 2026); RCL annual report / SET filings
19. INTERASIA LINES
Japan — Tokyo · Founded 1967
Category: Container liner (private)
Region: Asia
HQ Country: Japan
Founded: 1967
History: Founded in 1967 in Tokyo; a Japan–Southeast Asia and intra-Asia specialist that has remained independent and family-scale while its market consolidated around it.
Ownership / Parent: Private (Japanese)
Leadership: Not published in sources checked to this guide's standard — admitted rather than guessed
Full C-Suite / Senior Leadership: Not published — admitted
Specialties: Intra-Asia services linking Japan, China, Taiwan and ASEAN; India services
Fleet (vessels and TEU, dated): Operated fleet about 85,077 TEU — Operated fleet (owned + chartered), Alphaliner Top 100 via Logistics Management, early September 2026
Alliance / Cooperation: Independent; slot partnerships with regional carriers
Clients / Customers: Japanese and regional shippers
Scale (dated): Operated fleet ~85,000 TEU (Alphaliner, September 2026)
Offices / Footprint: HQ Tokyo; Singapore regional base; offices across East and Southeast Asia
Website: interasialine.com
Contact Email: Not published
Phone: Per company site
HQ Address: Tokyo, Japan (per company site)
Distinctiveness: The quiet Japanese independent — six decades on the same trades
Access / Entry: Via interasialine.com and local offices
Notes: Leadership gap admitted
Sources: Alphaliner Top 100 (September 2026); interasialine.com
20. IRISL GROUP
Iran — Tehran · Founded 1967 (as Arya National Shipping Lines)
Category: Container liner (state-owned)
Region: Middle East
HQ Country: Iran
Founded: 1967 (as Arya National Shipping Lines)
History: Iran's national shipping group, founded in 1967 and renamed after 1979; operates container, bulk and general-cargo fleets centred on Bandar Abbas; designated under US, UK and EU sanctions programmes, which shapes every element of its operation.
Ownership / Parent: Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines — Iranian state-owned
Leadership: Mohammadreza Modarres Khiabani — Managing Director (per company and Iranian press)
Full C-Suite / Senior Leadership: Not published in accessible English-language sources — admitted
Specialties: Iran's external trade: container services to Asia and (via intermediaries) beyond; Caspian and Gulf fleets through subsidiaries
Fleet (vessels and TEU, dated): Operated fleet about 140,184 TEU — Operated fleet (owned + chartered), Alphaliner Top 100 via Logistics Management, early September 2026
Alliance / Cooperation: None (sanctions-isolated)
Clients / Customers: Iranian state and private trade
Scale (dated): Operated fleet ~140,000 TEU (Alphaliner, September 2026)
Offices / Footprint: HQ Tehran; Shahid Rajaee port complex, Bandar Abbas
Website: irislgroup.com
Contact Email: Not published
Phone: Per company site
HQ Address: Tehran, Iran
Distinctiveness: A top-fifteen fleet that most of the world's ports and insurers cannot touch — included for completeness of the world ranking, with its status stated, not hidden
Access / Entry: Effectively closed to most Western shippers and forwarders under sanctions law
Notes: Sanctions designations (US OFAC, EU, UK) apply to IRISL and many subsidiaries; readers must take their own legal advice. Included because the world fleet ranking includes it
Sources: Alphaliner Top 100 (September 2026); OFAC/EU designation notices; irislgroup.com
21. MATSON, INC.
United States — Honolulu, Hawaii · Founded 1882
Category: Container liner and logistics (listed)
Region: North America
HQ Country: United States
Founded: 1882
History: Founded in 1882 by Captain William Matson, carrying cargo and passengers between California and Hawaii; today the Jones Act carrier for Hawaii, Alaska and Guam plus a premium expedited China–US West Coast service (CLX) prized for speed.
Ownership / Parent: Matson, Inc., listed NYSE: MATX
Leadership: Matthew J. Cox — Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Full C-Suite / Senior Leadership: Executive officers (per matson.com and SEC filings): Matthew J. Cox, Chairman & CEO; Joel M. Wine, EVP and CFO; the senior team is published by the company
Specialties: US domestic Jones Act trades (Hawaii, Alaska, Guam) with integrated terminals (Sand Island) and logistics (Matson Logistics); expedited trans-Pacific CLX service
Fleet (vessels and TEU, dated): Operated fleet about 68,420 TEU — Operated fleet (owned + chartered), Alphaliner Top 100 via Logistics Management, early September 2026
Alliance / Cooperation: Independent (Jones Act protected trades)
Clients / Customers: Hawaiian and Alaskan retail, food and construction trades; e-commerce shippers on CLX
Scale (dated): Operated fleet ~68,000 TEU (Alphaliner, September 2026); revenue per SEC filings
Offices / Footprint: HQ Honolulu; terminals in Honolulu, Anchorage/Kodiak/Dutch Harbor, Guam, Oakland, Long Beach, Tacoma
Website: matson.com
Contact Email: Not published (contact via matson.com)
Phone: +1 808 848 8000 (per company site)
HQ Address: 1411 Sand Island Parkway, Honolulu, HI 96819, USA
Distinctiveness: A 19th-century island lifeline that also runs the fastest regular China–California service in the market
Access / Entry: Booking via matson.com, Matson Logistics or forwarders
Sources: Alphaliner Top 100 (September 2026); matson.com; Matson SEC filings
22. GRIMALDI GROUP (DEEP SEA / EUROMED)
Italy — Naples · Founded 1947
Category: Ro-ro, car carrier and container group (private)
Region: Europe
HQ Country: Italy
Founded: 1947
History: Founded in Naples in 1947 by the Grimaldi family; built the world's largest ro-ro and car-carrier network and, through Atlantic Container Line (ACL) and Grimaldi Deep Sea, a significant con-ro/container operation on the Atlantic and to West Africa.
Ownership / Parent: Private — Grimaldi family
Leadership: Gianluca Grimaldi — President; Emanuele Grimaldi — Managing Director (Group co-leadership by the founder's sons)
Full C-Suite / Senior Leadership: Group leadership published at grimaldi.napoli.it; the group is run as a family partnership of companies
Specialties: Rolling cargo: cars, trucks and project cargo; con-ro services (ACL's G4 vessels) on the North Atlantic; West Africa container/ro-ro; Mediterranean ferries (Grimaldi Lines, Minoan, Trasmed)
Fleet (vessels and TEU, dated): Operated container fleet about 76,582 TEU — Operated fleet (owned + chartered), Alphaliner Top 100 via Logistics Management, early September 2026; the wider group fleet exceeds 140 vessels across ro-ro, car carrier, ferry and con-ro
Alliance / Cooperation: Independent
Clients / Customers: Vehicle manufacturers (OEM ro-ro contracts), forwarders, West African importers
Scale (dated): Container fleet ~77,000 TEU (Alphaliner, September 2026); group revenue per Italian filings
Offices / Footprint: HQ Naples; offices and agencies in 25+ countries; ACL HQ in Westfield, New Jersey
Website: grimaldi.napoli.it
Contact Email: Not published
Phone: +39 081 496 111 (per company site)
HQ Address: Via Marchese Campodisola 13, 80133 Naples, Italy
Distinctiveness: The kings of cargo on wheels — the container is only one of this family's several fleets
Access / Entry: Via Grimaldi agencies, ACL (aclcargo.com) or forwarders
Notes: Included in this container ranking on Alphaliner's basis; its centre of gravity is ro-ro, stated plainly
Sources: Alphaliner Top 100 (September 2026); grimaldi.napoli.it
HERITAGE — THE LINE THAT TAUGHT THE INDUSTRY ITS LIMITS
23. HANJIN SHIPPING — HERITAGE (DEFUNCT 2017)
South Korea — Seoul · Founded 1977 — bankrupt 17 February 2017
Category: HERITAGE ENTRY — former container liner
Region: Asia
HQ Country: South Korea
Founded: 1977 — bankrupt 17 February 2017
History: HERITAGE ENTRY, CLEARLY MARKED: Hanjin Shipping was founded in 1977 as the container arm of the Hanjin Group (Korean Air's parent) and grew into South Korea's largest carrier and the world's seventh-largest container line, operating about 98 vessels and some 617,000 TEU at its peak. Crushed by the post-2008 freight depression and its own charter commitments, it filed for court receivership on 31 August 2016 — the largest bankruptcy in container-shipping history. Ships were arrested or turned away from ports worldwide; the Seoul court declared bankruptcy on 17 February 2017 and the company was liquidated.
Ownership / Parent: Defunct. Formerly Hanjin Group (Chairman Cho Yang-ho)
Leadership: No current leadership — the company no longer exists. Final chairman: Cho Yang-ho of Hanjin Group
Full C-Suite / Senior Leadership: Not applicable — defunct
Specialties: Was: a top-seven global container line, member of the CKYHE alliance, with particular strength on trans-Pacific and Asia–Europe trades
Fleet (vessels and TEU, dated): At collapse (2016): about 617,000 TEU operated, ranked No. 7 in the world — the largest liner failure on record
Alliance / Cooperation: Was a member of the CKYHE Alliance (COSCO, K Line, Yang Ming, Hanjin, Evergreen)
Clients / Customers: Its customer book dispersed to rivals in 2016–17; its Asia–North America service network was bought out of receivership by SM Line, a new carrier created by the SM Group for the purpose
Scale (dated): Peak revenue about KRW 10 trillion (2013); liquidation followed the February 2017 bankruptcy declaration
Offices / Footprint: None — liquidated. Its Seoul HQ era is closed
Website: None (domain retired)
Contact Email: Not applicable
Phone: Not applicable
HQ Address: Formerly Hanjin Group Building, Seoul, South Korea
Distinctiveness: The industry's defining failure: Hanjin proved a top-ten carrier could simply stop, with 400,000+ containers stranded at sea and in ports
Access / Entry: Not applicable — see HMM (the state-backed heir of its national role) and SM Line (buyer of its trans-Pacific network)
Notes: Where its network went: HMM absorbed Hanjin's role as Korean national carrier and many of its people and trades; SM Line acquired its Asia–US services and the Hanjin brand rights for the Pacific trades; its ships were sold or returned to owners (many to Maersk, MSC and Seaspan) and its terminals were sold piecemeal (the Long Beach terminal stake went to MSC's TiL). Michael named Hanjin as his exemplar for this list; it is carried as heritage because a world shipping guide without it would misstate the industry's history
Sources: Seoul Central District Court bankruptcy declaration (17 February 2017); Alphaliner historical rankings; contemporary reporting by Lloyd's List, The Loadstar and the Wall Street Journal
METHOD, GAPS AND EXCLUSIONS
Excluded by design: pure bulk, tanker and gas carriers (several appear inside their groups' entries — Grimaldi is included on Alphaliner's container basis, with its ro-ro centre of gravity stated); DP World's shipping arm (Unifeeder and P&O Ferrymasters), which Alphaliner ranks in the top twenty but which is a feeder and short-sea business inside a ports group — it belongs to the ports story told in the companion Port Security guide; and the long tail of sub-60,000 TEU regional operators.
Hanjin Shipping is carried as a marked heritage entry at Michael's direction and on the merits: it was the world's seventh-largest line within a decade of this guide's publication, and its 2016–17 collapse remains the industry's defining event. Its network's heirs — HMM and SM Line — are traced inside the entry.