Maersk has launched a major strategic shift and a large ship-buying program to avoid losing its position as the world’s second-largest container shipping company to CMA CGM. According to Sina Finance, shipping data provider Alphaliner said the Danish company placed orders for 26 new ships in September, each with a capacity of 18,600 twenty-foot equivalent units, bringing Maersk’s total orderbook to 131 vessels.

The move marks a major turning point for Maersk. For most of the past decade, the company focused on end-to-end logistics, but it is now expanding its fleet as rivals use higher freight rates to fund growth. Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc said in September that the company “needs more ships” to cope with ongoing trade disruptions and will take a more proactive stance in the market.

The new vessels are due for delivery in 2029-2030 and will lift Maersk’s total fleet to 882 ships, a 16% increase in capacity from current levels. Even so, the orders will not close the gap with market leader MSC, which overtook Maersk in 2022 and now has 1,015 ships, according to Alphaliner.

CMA CGM is also closing in. The French family-owned company has 160 ships on order, and its combined fleet and orderbook already exceed Maersk’s total capacity. Last month, CMA CGM said it would become the world’s second-largest container shipping company next year, calling it a “fait accompli.”