MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company has returned to the charter market with a vengeance and has tied up fixtures for more than 20 large container vessels in recent days.
The world’s largest liner operator has secured forward charters for vessels up to 9,500 teu with deliveries stretching as far ahead as 2026 and early 2027.
The raid on the charter market points to a change in tack for the liner giant which has been prolific in buying up ships over the past three years.
While the Aponte-controlled carrier continues to pick up secondhand ships, the number of prospective candidates has fallen to a trickle.
So the liner giant is looking at charter tonnage where deliveries are still some two to three years away.
Forward fixtures
Among MSC’s latest fixtures are four 8,000-teu units built at the former Daehan Shipbuilding coming open in 2027.
Danaos Corp, which is the only owner with vessels matching that description, had fixed the ships earlier this year on three-year charters with MSC following their delivery from the shipbuilder.
Now the charters have reportedly been extended by MSC for another three years.
Rates in the low $40,000 per day level, which is similar to the original fixture.
The liner giant is also said to be taking a pair of 9,000-teu units basis for end 2025 positions from the Hamburg-based Offen Group.
The 9,200-teu Santa Loretta and sistership Santa Linea (both built 2005) will become available for charter in the fourth quarter of 2025 after being freshly drydocked.
They have been fixed with MSC for three years at $44,000 per day, which is almost a 20% year-on-year increase, say brokers.
MSC is also extending charters of six older 8,000-teu vessels.
The 8,238 teu Conti Makalu (built 2004) and sisters are reported taken for deliveries between mid-2026 and early-2027
Rates for the two-year charters are reported just below $40,000 per day.
MSC’s charter spree does not look likely to finish there, with the company is in the process of securing charters from other owners.
That includes up to 10 vessels of between 7,500 teu to 9,500 teu coming open in 2026.
MSC’s sudden move on the charter market comes as a surprise, especially given its massive newbuilding and secondhand acquisition programme.
The move appears to reflect a chronic lack of panamaxes and post-panamaxes across much of 2025, say brokers.
Foot on the S&P pedal
In the meantime, MSC continues to keep its foot on the pedal in the S&P market where it bought more vessels from the German market.
The latest purchase is reported to include the 8,800-teu Northern Jaguar (built 2009) out of the fleet of V.Ships Hamburg.
The vessel cost $52.5m for delivery in mid-2026, say brokers.
It joins several smaller ships purchased by MSC from German owners so far this month.
These include the 2,800-teu BF Tiger (built 2006) reported sold to MSC at a price of around $20m.
Another vessel, the 2700-teu Najade (built 2006), has been acquired for more than $19m after failing on subs to previous buyers, say brokers.
Other vessels acquired by MSC include the 2,602-teu Lucie Schulte, Margarete Schulte, and Hannah Schulte (all built 2006), say brokers.
A fourth vessel in the package, the 1,740-teu Ludwig Schulte (built 2008), is reported sold to MSC for $15m
These have helped lift MSC’s tally to 400 secondhand ships bought since August 2020, according to Alphaliner estimates.
The 401 ships acquired since August 2020 aggregate a total of 1.66m teu nearly matching the size of a carrier like Evergreen Marine Corp, with vessels displaying an average age of 20 years, it notes.
