According to Alphaliner, French container shipping giant CMA CGM has officially surpassed 4 million TEUs in operating capacity this week.

This achievement further solidifies CMA CGM’s position as the world’s third-largest container shipping company, trailing only MSC (6.7 million TEUs) and Maersk (4.6 million TEUs).

The milestone marks a fourfold expansion in CMA CGM’s scale over the past 16 years.

Founded in 1978 and still privately owned by the Saadé family, the group reached 1 million TEUs in 2009, 2 million in 2016, and 3 million in 2021.

CMA CGM’s legendary growth journey has included a series of major acquisitions that reshaped its global footprint. Notable deals include the acquisition of state-owned CGM in 1996, Australia’s ANL in 1998, Delmas in 2005, and the high-profile takeover of APL in 2016.

The group has also integrated several regional carriers, including MacAndrews, Cheng Lie Navigation, OPDR, Mercosul Line, and Containerships Oy.

Today, the Marseille-based company operates a fleet of 683 owned and chartered container ships. CMA CGM also holds the industry’s second-largest orderbook, with 95 vessels on order totaling 1.5 million TEUs.

With this substantial pipeline of newbuilds, CMA CGM is positioning itself to challenge Maersk’s second-place ranking on Alphaliner’s list. While Maersk currently maintains a steady operating capacity of 4.6 million TEUs, the Danish company has stated it does not intend to grow beyond this level and is focused on replacing older ships with a 682,000 TEU orderbook.

Over the past five years, the cash-rich Saadé family has led CMA CGM’s expansion beyond core shipping into logistics, air cargo, and media sectors.