The shuffling of container shipping alliances in 2025 is prompting liner operators to fight for market share, impeding capacity discipline, despite a relentless fall in freight rates.

Linerlytica’s report today notes that just 37 box ships, amounting to 77,185 teu, equivalent to 0.3% of the active fleet, are currently unemployed.

The consultancy noted: “Demand for additional tonnage shows no signs of cooling down, with carriers snapping up all tonnage coming open on the charter market in the next two months. The idle fleet remains unusually low at this time of the year, while scrap sales for the year remain well short of 100,000 teu as carriers set the stage for a fresh battle for market share ahead of the 2025 alliance reshuffle.”

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