Container shipping capacity on the Mediterranean-Far East trade has increased 12% year-on-year to 9.92 million TEU, reflecting the continued expansion of services and vessel deployment on the route, according to DynaLiners.
The trade currently has 20 dedicated weekly roundtrip services, one more than a year ago. A total of 258 vessels are deployed across these services, compared with 232 vessels previously, representing an addition of 26 ships.
Average vessel capacity has also increased moderately to around 14,200 TEU, from 13,600 TEU a year earlier. Total vessel capacity deployed on the trade has risen from 3.15 million TEU to 3.66 million TEU.
Several network changes have contributed to the capacity increase. New services operated by Medkon Lines, Gemini Cooperation and Wan Hai have been introduced, while services operated by FESCO and SeaLead were withdrawn. MSC also replaced its Dragon service with the Phoenix service.
The Ocean Alliance currently leads the Mediterranean-Far East market, operating four loops with 53 vessels and annualised capacity of approximately 2.76 million TEU. Gemini Cooperation ranks second with around 2.46 million TEU, followed by MSC with approximately 2.38 million TEU.
The Premier Alliance, comprising HMM, ONE and Yang Ming, ranks fourth with two loops, 37 vessels and annualised capacity of around 1.23 million TEU. ZIM, Wan Hai and HMM also maintain individual services on the trade.
The latest increase follows strong capacity growth in previous years. DynaLiners data shows that annualised capacity expanded 10% in 2025 and 35% in 2024, indicating sustained investment in the Mediterranean-Far East corridor.
The growth has come largely through the addition of vessels and services rather than a major increase in average ship size. The expansion reflects carriers’ continued efforts to strengthen connectivity between Mediterranean markets and major manufacturing and consumption centres in the Far East.
With capacity continuing to rise, competition among carriers is expected to remain strong as shipping lines adjust networks and service structures to capture growing trade opportunities between Europe’s Mediterranean gateways and Asia.