CMA CGM has opened a fresh front in the battle for scale among the world’s largest liner operators after adding 235,500 TEU of fleet capacity in the first half of 2026, making it the fastest-growing carrier in the top 10, according to Alphaliner.
The Marseille-based group expanded its fleet by 5.7% over the six-month period, outpacing Mediterranean Shipping Company, which added 205,000 TEU. The increase cut CMA CGM’s capacity gap with A.P. Moller-Maersk, with the French group’s operated fleet reaching about 4.39m TEU against about 4.73m TEU for Maersk.
CMA CGM also has a larger newbuilding orderbook than Maersk, at about 1.8m TEU compared with roughly 1.2m TEU, giving it a clear route to challenge for the number two position in global liner shipping before the end of 2027.
The first-half growth was driven by the delivery of 12 vessels, including the LNG-powered CMA CGM NOTRE DAME and CMA CGM GRAND PALAIS, as well as 10 methanol-powered ships.
CMA CGM identifies CMA CGM NOTRE DAME as a 24,000-TEU vessel and the first in a series of ten next-generation LNG-powered containerships under the French flag.
CMA CGM is a French shipping and logistics group headquartered in Marseille.
Mediterranean Shipping Company is a privately owned container shipping and logistics group headquartered in Switzerland.
A.P. Moller-Maersk is a Danish integrated transport and logistics group.
Alphaliner is a liner shipping market intelligence provider focused on fleet, orderbook and capacity analysis.