Danish carrier Maersk Line has increased its intra-Asia capacity by 52 per cent, adding 100,000 TEU to reach 298,134 TEU in total deployed volume, reported UK's Seatrade Maritime News.

The expansion consolidates Maersk's second-place position in the regional trades, trailing only Cosco Shipping, which operates 300,491 TEU in the area.

Alphaliner's latest report highlighted that Maersk's Gemini Cooperation partner, Hapag-Lloyd, nearly doubled its capacity in August 2024, up 97 per cent. The alliance has expanded regional shuttle services to support its hub and spoke model.

Gemini-operated vessels average just over 2,900 TEU, compared to Cosco's 2,700 TEU. MSC operates the largest ships in the region, averaging 3,000 TEU.

Despite the capacity surge, intra-Asia freight rates have declined. Drewry Shipping Consultants reported a 2 per cent drop in its Intra-Asia Container Index in late August, with rates at US$582 per 40ft container - 35 per cent lower than August 2024.

Alphaliner noted the competitiveness of the intra-Asia market, with 69 carriers operating 2.4 million TEU, up 13 per cent year-on-year. The top 20 carriers control 87 per cent of the total capacity.

The Gemini alliance's capacity upgrade reflects the strategic importance of the region. Xeneta's chief analyst Peter Sand said more containers move within intra-Asia than any other global corridor.

Mr Sand added that since early 2023, an average of 3.95 million TEU per month was shipped between Far East ports, surpassing combined volumes to North America and Europe, which stood at 3.48 million TEU.

A Taiwan-based freight forwarder projected US container imports to fall 19-21 per cent year-on-year from September to December 2025, with a full-year decline of 5.6 per cent due to tariff-driven demand shifts.