Unifeeder is now the second-largest intra-Europe player, surpassing French ocean carrier CMA CGM through capacity additions.

The DP World subsidiary now operates 38,000 TEUs of ships within Europe, up 15% from last year, giving it a market share of 15.1%, up from 12.8% last year.

Alphaliner’s report states that the Aarhus-based Unifeeder now operates 40 ships crossing Europe, up from 34 vessels last year. Each ship has an average capacity of 950 TEUs.

CMA CGM’s market share is now 14.2% compared to 17.7% a year ago. The French line has reduced its intra-North European capacity by 22.6% or 10,400 TEUs in just one year. Most notably, CMA CGM restructured many of its intra-North European services after it dropped the brand of its former intra-Europe shortsea specialist, Containerships. Today, CMA CGM operates 14 intra-North European loops with 30 ships, compared to 20 services and 42 ships, a year ago.

On the other hand, Unifeeder launched a Germany-Poland shuttle service in March, adding 1,000 TEUs to its capacity. In addition, Unifeeder has been doing more extra loader sailings between Scandinavia and northwestern Europe.

Overall, intra-North European service capacity has plummeted by 3.5% or almost 10,000 TEUs compared to July 2023, as some mainline operators have either downsized or completely ceased some of their Northwest Continent - Baltic loops.

Mainline operators reduced their operated capacity by almost 20% or 30,000 TEUs, over the past year, reducing their combined market share to 48.5% (down from 57.5%), while the share of feeder operators has moved over the 50% mark, reaching 51.5%.

The three container giants MSC, CMA CGM and Maersk together took out almost 29,000 TEUs of capacity from the intra-North European trades in just one year.

MSC remains the leader in the intra-Europe segment, with a market share of 22.6%, although this is lower than 25.3% last year.

Alphaliner observed that the Red Sea crisis, which resulted in a tonnage shortage due to ships detouring round the Cape of Good Hope, prompted mainline operators to divert some of their vessels from intra-Europe services to carry out feedering between north Europe and the Mediterranean. 

Source: Container News 

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