Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) is understood to be in advanced talks to acquire a large block of container ships from South Korea’s Sinokor Merchant Marine, in what could become one of the most significant secondhand containership transactions in recent years, industry sources told India Seatrade.
The proposed deal is said to involve up to 30 container vessels, spanning a mix of feeder and mid-size segments, effectively covering the bulk of Sinokor’s existing container fleet. While negotiations are ongoing and terms have not been finalised, sources indicate the transaction is structured as a fleet-wide acquisition rather than individual ship sales.
If concluded, the move would further cement MSC’s position as the world’s largest container carrier and underline its aggressive strategy of expanding capacity through the sale-and-purchase market, even as newbuilding activity across the sector moderates.
Strategic fit for MSC
MSC has been one of the most active buyers of secondhand tonnage over the past two years, targeting both modern eco vessels and older ships suitable for regional and niche trades. Acquiring Sinokor’s fleet would provide MSC with immediate, deployable capacity, allowing rapid redeployment across Asia-centric services, intra-regional routes and secondary trades.
Market participants note that block acquisitions offer MSC speed and scale, reducing exposure to long newbuild lead times while providing flexibility amid ongoing uncertainty around global trade flows, geopolitics and fuel regulations.
Implications for Sinokor and the market
For Sinokor, a full or near-full fleet sale would represent a major strategic reset, potentially allowing the company to deleverage, refocus on core trades, or exit certain container segments altogether. South Korean owners have faced mounting pressure from volatile freight markets, rising compliance costs and intensifying competition from global liner majors.
A deal of this size is also expected to tighten the already constrained secondhand containership market, particularly for feeder and mid-size vessels, where availability has thinned sharply. Brokers suggest pricing benchmarks could be reset if MSC proceeds with a bulk acquisition at scale.
Neither MSC nor Sinokor has commented officially on the reported talks.
