In issue 731 of the Sea-Intelligence Sunday Spotlight, we analysed the impact of the 2025 carrier alliance reshuffle on Europe’s major container ports. With the new service networks fully executed and stable as of July 2025, our analysis of the vital Asia-Europe trade lane reveals a significant consolidation of market power into hubs like Hamburg and Valencia, at the expense of established gateways such as Antwerp and Tangier.
To measure this shift, we analysed the total deployed TEU capacity directed to each major European port, comparing the post-reshuffle period of May-July 2025 against the 2024-FY baseline. This metric provided the clearest picture of the strategic realignment underway.
It is important to note, however, that these TEU figures refer to the vessel's nominal capacity – its theoretical maximum – which serves as a proxy for market size and deployed assets. This represents the maximum cargo opportunity directed to each gateway and is not a representation of the actual cargo volumes exchanged per call. (....)