Full-year 2013 numbers are in for the U.S. containerized ocean trade, and, as expected, year-over-year growth in imports, exports and total trade was middling. But what 2013 did more than anything else was set the stage for the real sea change that will come this year. Here’s what we learned about last year and how the landscape is changing.

Q : How big are the carriers in the P3 Network in terms of overall U.S. trade?

The P3 carriers ? Maersk Line, CMA CGM and Mediterranean Shipping Co. ? are the world’s three largest carriers in terms of fleet capacity, a scale reflected in the combined 26.9 percent share of U.S. containerized trade they held in 2013. Combined laden volume of nearly 8.3 million 20-foot-equivalent units represented a 2.6 percent increase in volume year-over-year. The P3 lines’ U.S. exports in 2013 totaled 3.5 million TEUs, or 27.8 percent of the market, while their 4.7 million TEUs of imports was good for a 26.3 percent stake.

MSC handled 3.3 million TEUs of total containerized U.S. trade, or 10.8 percent of the market, followed by Maersk with 3 million TEUs and a 9.8 percent share. CMA CGM Group, which includes ANL, Delmas and U.S. Lines, held 6.2 percent of the U.S. container market, or 1.9 million TEUs in 2013.

Each of the P3 carriers achieved a top ranking in 2013, depending on how the data is carved. Maersk led the Top 40 Container Carriers in U.S. imports, while MSC led in U.S. exports and in total U.S. trade. Within the P3, CMA CGM Group had the highest year-over-year growth in total trade ? 10.5 percent ? with exports spiking 17 percent.

As long as regulators in China approve the alliance ? the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission already has given the green light, and the European Union will step in only if it sees a competitive threat post-launch ? the P3 will likely begin operating this summer in the trans-Pacific, Asia-Europe and trans-Atlantic trades.

Separately, Maersk will rebrand its north-south business under the SeaLand name in 2015.

Q : How big was U.S. trade in 2013?

U.S. container volume, excluding empties, increased 2.8 percent year-over-year in 2013, totaling 30.8 million TEUs. U.S. imports increased 3.1 percent to nearly 18.1 million TEUs, and represented 58.6 percent of total U.S. trade. Volume at 15 of the JOC Top 40 Import carriers declined year-over-year. U.S. exports totaled nearly 12.8 million TEUs in 2013, advancing 2.4 percent year-over-year. Individual carrier results were mixed, with year-over-year declines at 12 of the JOC Top 40 Export carriers.

Q : How big is the global container fleet?

As of April 1, research analyst Alphaliner calculated active global capacity at 17.9 million TEUs on 5,951 ships, including nearly 17.5 million TEUs of capacity aboard 4,965 fully cellular ships. That represented an overall capacity increase of 1.2 percent from early December, with eight fewer ships in the global fleet. The Top 50 container fleet operators operate 91.8 percent of the current global fleet and have 321 ships on order, totaling more than 3 million TEUs and representing 18.5 percent of their existing fleet capacity.

The P3 lines were the three largest in Alphaliner’s capacity rankings, with a combined 36.4 percent market share as of April 1. Maersk Group, previously known as A.P. Moller-Maersk and which includes Maersk, Safmarine, MCC-Transport, Seago and Mercosul, held a 14.5 percent share of the global fleet with 2.6 million TEUs. MSC was second with 2.4 million TEUs and a 3.5 percent share. CMA CGM Group had 1.5 million TEUs and an 8.3 percent share.

Combined, the P3 carriers have 89 ships on order, totaling nearly 1.1 million TEUs, or 16.3 percent of their combined existing global fleet, according to Alphaliner. MSC has the largest orderbook, with 438,851 TEUs or 18.1 percent of its existing global fleet on order. CMA CGM Group is No. 2 with 372,757 TEUs, or 24.9 percent, and Maersk Group is third with 255,780 TEUs, or 9.8 percent.

Other container fleet operators have almost 2 million TEUs of capacity on order ? seven carriers with orderbooks of more than 100,000 TEUs each, led by Evergreen Line with 299,252 TEUs and United Arab Shipping with 280,726 TEUs on order.

Hapag-Lloyd’s acquisition of CSAV would move the sixth-ranked German carrier and 20th ranked Chilean line to No. 4, with a combined 987,499 TEUs in capacity and 91,438 TEUs in its orderbook.

(Source : Journal of Commerce)