191 ships have changed ownership! Container ship sales do not cool down

Alphaliner reported that despite the uncertainty of the global situation and intense market volatility, there were still a large number of second-hand container ships changing ownership in the first half of this year.
In the first half of 2025, container shipping companies will be active in the second-hand ship trading market, while at the same time, trade wars, constantly changing customs announcements, and ongoing attacks on Red Sea merchant ships have become significant features of this period.
According to Alphaliner statistics, a total of 191 container ships completed transactions during this period, with a total capacity of 526523 TEUs.
By comparison, the number of traded ships in the first half of 2024 was 141, but the total capacity was higher, reaching 572600 TEUs.
The analysis company wrote: “The industry is currently facing many uncertainties, especially the potential overcapacity problem that may arise after the end of the Red Sea crisis, but these have not prevented buyers from entering the market. Tariffs, measures taken by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), falling freight rates, ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and large order volumes have all failed to curb the acquisition behavior of shipping companies. ”
During this period, ship prices remained high as sellers faced a choice: either to quickly profit by selling ships, or to maintain ship operations in a volatile market – freight rates are currently high and this trend is expected to continue at least until next year.
The world’s largest container shipping company, MSC, purchased the most ships in the first half of this year, reaching 38 (compared to 33 in the same period last year); CMA CGM followed closely, purchasing 19 ships in the first half of the year (compared to 5 ships in the same period of 2024).