One family has propelled a landlocked European nation into the top shipowning countries in the world.
Gianluigi Aponte’s Geneva-based Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) has been on a historic fleet expansion in the 2020s, hoovering up more than 400 secondhand boxships, and ordering more than 3m teu of newbuilds, pushing MSC to the top spot in the global liner leagues, and making the Apontes – who originally hail from Italy – by some distance the richest family in Switzerland.
Online pricing portal VesselsValue has released its annual chart of the top 10 shipowning nations by total asset value, with Switzerland creeping into ninth spot thanks largely to MSC’s container and cruise fleets.
Originally from Naples, Aponte, now 84, founded MSC in 1970. His family is among the top 50 on the Forbes billionaires index.
Other notable changes in the annual national fleet value rankings from VesselsValue are at the top of the leaderboard. Whilst China retains the top spot in terms of vessel numbers, it has also taken the lead for the most valuable fleet, overtaking Japan while Greece remains in third spot.
In terms of gross tonnage, rather than value, the top 10 chart looks quite different. Clarksons Research data on global fleets – which does not include cruiseships – shows how China has stretched its lead at the top over Japan and Greece over the past year.