Merchant navy companies are crucial to global trade, supply chains, and also logistics, as most international trade is conducted through ships. Many shipping companies manage and operate huge fleets, enabling cargo movement from one port to another. In this article, we will look at some of the most reputable, trusted, and also popular merchant navy companies.
Best Shipping Companies
Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A (Msc)
MSC is the world’s largest merchant navy companies in terms of fleet size and also cargo volume carried. It was founded in Italy in 1970 by ship captain and Italian billionaire Gianluigi Aponte after he purchased his first ship, the Patricia. The company is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and manages approximately 19.7% of the world’s container ship fleet. Company operates more than 790 container ships, including some of the world’s largest, such as the MSC Turkiye and the MSC Michel Cappellini. The company also owns a vacation cruise division called MSC Cruises. In 2015, it began operating a rail line across the Iberian Peninsula. In 2022, it launched MSC Air Cargo.
Wilhelmsen Shipmanagement
Wilhelmsen is a ship management company providing ship management and other services to the maritime sector. It has a portfolio of more than 460 vessels and 11,000 seafarers offers technical ship management, crew management services and OPEX management. It also helps in asset management and fleet development planning.
Ap Moller-Maersk Group
Maersk is a Danish company founded in 1904 and headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark.The company has subsidiaries and offices in 130 countries, transports about $675 billion worth of goods annually, and employs more than 70,000 people. Maersk owns a fleet of about 675 container ships and is active in shipping as well as supply chain management and warehousing.
Chevron Corporation
Chevron is an American energy company focused on the oil and gas industry. Based in California, it operates in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in the exploration, refining, production, transportation, sale, manufacturing, and electricity generation of oil and gas. After acquiring additional companies and forming partnerships, it began to dominate the oil industry in the mid-20th century. It is one of the world’s largest companies and the second-largest U.S. oil company by sales.
Cma Cgm
A French shipping company founded in 1978 by Jacques Saad. Headquartered in Marseille, France, it is the world’s third-largest merchant navy companies . In 2023, its fleet included 593 ships and also recorded annual revenues of $47 billion.
MOL Mitsui
O.S.K. Lines is a Japanese company based in Tokyo. The company is one of the world’s largest shipping companies, with a huge fleet of bulk carriers, liquefied natural gas tankers, RoRo ships, oil tankers, container ships and container terminals. It was founded in 1884 as part of the Mitsui zaibatsu during the early stages of Japanese industrialization. The company is now independent of the zaibatsu but is part of a group of related companies. It also operates in the energy and marine, product transportation, welfare and lifestyle sectors. MOL has offices in Australia, China, Mauritius, Africa, Korea, New Zealand, India and the Philippines.
Cosco Shipping China
COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited is a publicly listed company based in Shanghai. Focused on ocean shipping and logistics, it was established in 2016 after the merger of COSCO Group and China Shipping Group. As of December 31, 2023, COSCO Shipping’s total fleet consists of 1,417 vessels with a transport capacity of 116 million DWT, ranking first in the world.
Teekay
A Canadian crude oil shipping company. Founded in 1973 by a Danish shipbroker who came to the United States and worked onshore. The company started as a local company, buying old oil tankers and opening an office in the Bahamas, where taxes are low. Most of the company’s ships are flagged in Liberia, and the company recruits crew from around the world. The company benefited from operations in the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. The company transformed from a pure tanker operator to a ship owner and, over time, expanded its activities into new areas such as gas and offshore sectors. Teekay consists of two companies: Teekay Corporation and Teekay Tankers. It has offices in Manila, Mumbai, Singapore, London, Canada, Bermuda and Australia.
One (Ocean Network Express)
ONE is a Japanese shipping company established in 2017 as a joint venture between NYK, K-Line and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines. It took over the container shipping business of the founding company and now has a fleet capacity of 1.4 million TEU. It was established in response to changes in the container shipping sector, which was affected by declining profits and overcapacity. The container shipping divisions of three companies merged to create the world’s sixth-largest merchant navy companies .
Hmm Company
HMM Company Limited (formerly Hyundai Merchant Marine) is a Korean merchant navy companies that handles the largest share of South Korea’s exports and is the largest merchant navy companies in South Korea. The company has four overseas offices, 27 subsidiaries, five overseas offices, and 76 branches in various cities around the world. It transports crude oil, coal, iron ore, and other products to the domestic market, generating approximately 8 trillion Korean won per year. In addition to ONE, Hapag-Lloyd, and Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation, HMM is also a member of “THE Alliance”, which wants to provide 34 services monthly and directly call at 81 ports.
Nyk Nippon Yusen
Kabushiki Kaisha is a shipping company based in Tokyo. The company’s fleet includes more than 800 vessels, including container ships, bulk carriers, tankers, RoRo ships, reefer ships, LNG carriers, car carriers, and cruise ships. The company’s history dates back to Tsukumo Shokai, which launched Japan’s first scheduled passenger service in 1870.
Evergreen Marine Corporation
A Taiwanese company of the Evergreen Group. Headquartered in Luzhu District, Taoyuan City, it operates more than 150 container ships. Evergreen Marine was founded in 1968 and is one of the world’s largest shipping companies. Their ships call at about 240 ports in 80 countries. Its main trade routes stretch from East Asia to North America, the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Central America, and the Caribbean, and from East Asia to Australia, East Africa, South Africa, and South America, and it also provides services connecting East Asian ports with the Red Cross. Oceans and the Persian Gulf. In addition to its shipping business, the company is also active in container and shipbuilding, port management, engineering and real estate development.
Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation
Founded in 1972, Yang Ming specializes in container shipping, with service routes throughout Asia, America, Africa, Australia, and Europe. In March 2019, two 14,000 TEU vessels, YM Warranty and YM Wellspring, were added to the fleet. The company has historical ties with the China Merchants’ Navigation Company, whose origins date back to the Qing Dynasty. Currently, the company has over 241 offices in 87 countries, as well as regional offices in the United States, Germany, Greece, Panama, and Singapore. As of April 2024, Yang Ming had a fleet of 94 vessels with a capacity of 707,000 TEU.
Zim Integrated Shipping
Services, also known as ZIM, is an Israeli freight forwarding company headquartered in Haifa, Israel. Founded in 1945 as ZIM Palestine Navigation Company Ltd, the company is now one of the largest shipping companies in the world. The company purchased its first ship in 1947, which was modernized and named the SS Kedema. In 1948, it was renamed ZIM Israel Navigation Company Ltd. The company changed its name and transported thousands of people to Israel in the following years. It also purchased other ships, such as the SS Artza, Galila and Negba.
Wan Hai Lines
This Taiwanese company was founded in 1965 and is one of the largest in container shipping, with 142 vessels and a cargo capacity of 430,854 TEU in 2023. The company is headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, and has about 5000 employees. In the early days, the company mainly operated between Taiwan, Japan, and Southeast Asia. However, in 1976, it entered container shipping and expanded its scope to respond to new trends in shipping, such as B. containerization to react.
Pacific International Lines
PIL was founded in Singapore in 1967 by the world’s oldest living billionaire, Chan Yun Chong, who served until his death in September 2020. The company only operated two ships but continued to expand. It celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017 and has grown to become one of the world’s largest shipping companies. PIL owns 95 vessels, including container ships, bulk carriers and multipurpose vessels with a capacity of over 400,000 TEU. In addition, 12 vessels have been delivered recently. The company has more than 15,000 employees worldwide and serves around 500 ports in 100 countries.
Anglo-Eastern Ship Management
The company was formed in 2015 by the merger of Anglo-Eastern and Uniban Ship Management Limited. It manages over 680 ships through third parties. In 2018, it was the world’s largest ship management company by number of ships and the second largest by number of crew. Its history dates back to 1974 when Peter Nash founded Anglo Eastern as a chartering and ship-owning company. In 2013, Anglo Eastern managed over 450 ships, including bulk carriers, tankers, container ships, some RoRo ships and general cargo ships. The company has 20 locations in Asia Pacific, the Americas and Europe, including Manila, Antwerp, Singapore, Mumbai, Glasgow, Odessa and Hamburg.
Orient Overseas Container Line
Also known as OOCL, this merchant navy companies is based in Hong Kong and has offices in 70 countries. It has a fleet of 59 vessels with capacities ranging from 2,992 to 21,413 TEU, as well as two Ice-class vessels for harsh environments. The company was founded in 1969 by Chinese shipping giant C.Y. Tung, part of the Grand Alliance, which was founded in 1998 by Hapag Lloyd and NYK. OOCL offers 78 weekly services worldwide, connecting Europe, Asia, America, the Middle East, New Zealand, Australia and the Mediterranean. Affiliates own and manage container terminals in Asia and North America, including KAOCT in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and Long Beach Container Terminal in California.
Synergy Group
Synergy Group is one of the world’s largest ship management companies, based in Singapore. It provides services to shipowners, including asset management and customized strategies. Has 28 offices in 14 countries and employs more than 24,000 seafarers. Synergy manages more than 668 vessels, including LNG and LPG carriers, container ships, chemical tankers, oil tankers, bulk carriers and car carriers.
K-Line Kawasaki Kisen
Kaisha Ltd. is a Japanese company with 439 ships, including container ships, LNG carriers, RoRo ships, tankers and bulk carriers. K-Line’s origins date back to 1878, when Kawasaki Heavy Industries was founded after Kawasaki Shozo established the Kawasaki Tsukiji Shipyard in Tokyo. The shipyard became Kawasaki Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. 18 years later. Registered. Matsukata Kojiro, a well-known art lover, founded K-Line. His ukiyo-e collection is also housed in the Tokyo National Museum.
