Duffy Will Overtake MSC For The Top Spot!

Duffy Line (CMA CGM) is reportedly on the verge of overtaking Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) to become the largest operator in the Mediterranean region.

The French shipping company has increased the number of vessels and deployed larger ships in the Mediterranean compared to a year ago. Duffy Line currently operates 60 vessels in the Mediterranean with a total capacity of more than 96,000 TEU and has added six more vessels this year. The average capacity of CMA CGM's deployed fleet has increased from 1,433 TEU last year to 1,677 TEU this year.

Currently, the Marseille-based consolidator has a 19.9% market share within the Mediterranean region, second only to MSC's 22%. Alphaliner observes that Duffy Line (CMA CGM) is struggling to counter the trend of carriers reducing their intra-Mediterranean exposure. MSC's market share is set to fall from 24% in 2022 to 22% currently, while Danish operator Maersk's market share within the Mediterranean region is set to fall from 15% in 2022 after cutting more than 10,000 TEUs to a current 11%.

With the launch of the Greece-Turkey-Libya, Turkey-Libya, and Greece-Turkey-Boj routes, Duffy Line has launched three new Mediterranean routes, adding 11,000 TEUs of capacity.

Alphaliner notes that CMA CGM has historically been a key player in services to and from North Africa, particularly in the Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya). The French shipping company deploys 87.3% of its total capacity within the Mediterranean region on services to at least one Maghreb port. Compared to a year ago, Duffy Line's capacity for the Maghreb has increased by 40.4%.

Mainline operators continue to dominate the Mediterranean offshore routes, accounting for about 66 per cent of the total market, while regional and general feeder operators hold a 34 per cent market share. However, compared to a year ago, the market share of the major players has declined by 5%, mainly due to the withdrawal of significant capacity from the market by Maersk and Star Line.

With a market share of 3.8% in 2022, Ephraim Shipping (ZIM) has fallen to 2.2% in the last 12 months, ranking eighth (down two places) ahead of Turkish offshore carrier Akkon Lines.The Haifa-based shipping company has reduced its intra-European capacity by a staggering 69.1%, or 5,000 TEUs, in just one year. Most notably, it has drastically reduced the average vessel size on the Israel-Turkey TBX loop from 3,143 TEU to just 1,984 TEU and closed the Turkey-Egypt TEX loop.