Maersk dual-fuel methanol container ship Alexandra Maersk. Image Credit: Maersk

A.P Moller-Maersk has moved closer to market leader MSC in the intra-North Europe container shipping market after recording the strongest growth in deployed capacity and market share over the past 12 months, according to sector specialist Alphaliner.

The Danish container line increased its market share to 16.2% from 13.5% a year earlier, raising deployed capacity to 50,800 TEU from 39,800 TEU, Alphaliner said in an emailed report today.

The increase was largely driven by its Gemini hub-and-spoke strategy with Hapag-Lloyd, including the launch of two new Baltic feeder services linking Germany and Poland.

Despite Maersk's rapid expansion, MSC retained its position as the largest operator in the trade with a 21.2% market share, largely unchanged from 21.3% a year ago.

Overall intra-North Europe capacity grew 6.8% year-on-year as carriers deployed 243 ships compared with 235 a year earlier.

Elsewhere, DP World remained the third-largest operator despite a decline in market share, while CMA CGM was the only major mainline carrier to record declines in both capacity and market share.

Among Asian carriers, Ocean Network Express (ONE) posted the strongest growth, increasing capacity by 33.7% following the launch of its Iberia Baltic Express service.

"Overall, intra-North European service capacity grew by 6.8%, or close to 20,000 TEU, compared to July 2025, as carriers deployed 243 ships against 235 a year earlier, of a marginally larger average size (1,294 TEU versus 1,253 TEU)," Alphaliner said.