Container Shipping Networks: A Shift Away from Shared Capacity Among Carriers

Source: Freepik

The global container shipping industry is undergoing changes in the way service networks are organized. While the number of services continues to increase, fewer carriers are offering space on each service. This trend indicates a shift in the extent of capacity sharing among carriers and could lead to greater differences in sailing schedules and service connection options.

Vessel Sharing Agreements and Limitations in Service Choice

Before 2017, international container shipping networks relied heavily on cooperation agreements between carriers. Through Vessel Sharing Agreements (VSAs), carriers jointly operated vessels and allocated capacity, enabling them to maintain broad service coverage without having to independently organize all vessel operations on every trade lane.

This model allowed carriers to expand their networks and use capacity more efficiently. However, when multiple carriers participated in the same service, each could market space under its own brand despite sharing vessels and sailing schedules. As a result, the number of options visible to shippers in the market did not necessarily reflect the actual differences between available shipping services.

Expanding Networks, Fewer Carriers Sharing Each Service

According to Sea-Intelligence data, the number of international container shipping services increased from around 250 in 2012–2013 to nearly 380 by late 2026. Meanwhile, the number of carriers offering space on each service has been trending downward.

Source: Sea-Intelligence

This trend is clearly reflected in the average number of carriers marketing space on each service. The figure stood at 4.12 carriers during 2014–2016, but had fallen to 2.65 by August 2026.

The decline suggests that carriers are becoming less reliant on arrangements in which multiple parties market space on the same service. Rather than depending as heavily on shared capacity, some carriers are taking greater control over service organization and operations, from capacity allocation to network planning.

However, a decline in capacity sharing does not mean that all carriers are moving toward independent operations. Cooperation agreements remain important in the container shipping industry, although the extent of collaboration varies by trade lane and carrier strategy.

If this trend continues, sailing schedules, port rotations and connections between services could become more differentiated. For shippers, these differences may make it easier to select services based on their actual operational characteristics rather than solely on the brands marketing them.

Overall, as the number of carriers offering space on each service declines while networks continue to expand, differences in sailing schedules, port rotations and service connections could become increasingly important factors in competition among shipping lines.

See more:

• Hapag-Lloyd to Adjust Six Asia–Europe Services Under Gemini Cooperation from November 2026
• Port of Rotterdam Container Throughput Remains Nearly Flat as Transshipment Volumes Fall 20%
• Strait of Hormuz Sees Further Attacks as Two Commercial Vessels Sink
• Port of Oakland Signals Recovery as September Container Throughput Rises 5.4%
• Mega-Container Vessels Return to the Suez Canal Despite Persistent Red Sea Risks
• Ship Recycling Activity Drops to More Than 50-Year Low as Global Fleet Faces Rapid Aging
• ClarkSea Index Sets Fifth Consecutive Record as Daily Vessel Earnings Reach $84,951
• Ocean Shipping Disruptions and Tariff Uncertainties Drive Incremental Air Freight Demand in Q4
• MSC and ONE to Continue Ipanema Service Under New VSA from April 2027
• Around 12% of Global Containership Capacity Affected by Port Congestion
• COSCO schedules: Vietnam - North America in Oct 2026
• COSCO updates Vietnam-North Europe sailing schedules in Oct 2026
• SITC updates Vietnam-Intra Asia sailing schedules in Oct 2026

Source: Phaata.com (According to Sea-Intelligence)

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