MSC surpasses Maersk as top carrier serving US in first nine months

GENEVA`s Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC), the world`s No 2 carrier, surpassed the world`s No 1 carrier Maersk as the biggest container shipping line serving US ports in the first nine months of 2011, according to Newark`s Journal of Commerce Top 40 ranking.

US container trade in the first nine months of 2011 increased 5.1 per cent year on year, with an eight per cent rise in exports and a 3.2 per cent increase in imports coming in at 250,000 fewer TEUs than the high point three years ago, the data revealed.


MSC`s US exports increased 18.9 per cent from January to September and outbound shipments rose 12.8 per cent. Imports were up 1.3 percentage points over exports, giving MSC a balance of trade. Maersk exports increased 1.7 per cent while imports fell four per cent in the same period with the Danish carrier handling 50 per cent more imports than exports.