Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) is the second-largest shipping company in the world. Headquartered in Geneva of Switzerland, MSC is a privately-owned maritime company driven by the Aponte family, and it remains private to this day. MSC began with shipping operations between the Mediterranean and East Africa but has grown into a major world player in shipping and cruises with a fleet of 570 vessels and more than 100,000 staff.

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Mediterranean Shipping Company -CompanyHistroy

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) was founded in Naples in 1970 as a private company by seafaring captain Gianluigi Aponte. Gianluigi Aponte, a young Italian seaman and former bank teller who had the courage and foresight to purchase his first ship, Patricia, in 1970. He acquired an even bigger vessel in 1971, which he named after his wife, Rafaela, followed by the carrier, Ilse, in 1973. These three cargo ships represented the pioneering beginnings of MSC, which has since grown to become a world leader in global container shipping operator.

MSC has deployed more than 200 routes in more than 150 countries and regions around the world. The fleet capacity ranks second in the world.

MSC operates vessels with a capacity of up to 3,920,784 TEU, including (as of 2020) the world's two largest container ships, MSC Gülsün and MSC Samar.

The company remains independent and wholly owned by the Aponte family under the leadership of Diego Aponte. He was appointed President and CEO by his father and company founder Gianluigi in October 2014. Gianluigi Aponte would continue to oversee all group-related activities and support Diego in shaping the future of MSC. In December 2020, Soren Toft became MSC Chief Executive Officer.

Since 1989, MSC has had a holiday cruise division called MSC Cruises. MSC Cruises is the world’s fourth largest cruise line and the largest privately-owned company in its market. MSC Cruises is the market leader in Europe, South America and South Africa. In 2018, the company welcomed 2.4 million guests and 180 nationalities on board its ships.

Latest Activities of Mediterranean Shipping Company

In January 2015, MSC launched the largest container ship, MSC Oscar, with a capacity of 19,224 TEU. Built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering and registered in Panama, it joins the Albatross service in January as part of the 2M VSA (Vessel Sharing Agreement between Maersk Line and MSC).

In June 2015 Maersk and MSC signed a vessel-sharing agreement on the Asia-Europe, trans-Pacific and trans-Atlantic trades. The agreemewnt is referred to as the 2M Alliance. The 2M Alliance includes 185 vessels with an estimated capacity of 2.1 million TEU, deployed on 21 strings.

In February 2017, MSC purchased a 49% stake into Messina Line, an Italian shipping Line founded in Genoa, Italy in 1929, specialised in intra Mediterranean short sea, and Europe to East and West Africa routes. The company owns 8 Roll-on/roll-off vessels and a Terminal in Genoa port, on top of a container fleet of 65,000 teu. MSC’s subsidiary Marinvest will take over a 49 percent stake in Ignazio Messina and a 52 percent stake in Ro-Ro Italia, a new company that would control four of the Messina’s roll-on/roll-off container vessels.

Mediterranean Shipping Company Business in China

MSC entered the Chinese market in 1996 and had set up their offices in almost all the harbor cities of China. 

Ports & Terminals

North China:

· Dalian (CNDLC) – Dalian port container terminal co.

·Ningbo (CNNGB) – Yuandong Terminal, Gangji Terminal, NBSCT Terminal, Meishan Terminal

· Qingdao (CNTAO) – Qingdao Qianwan Container Terminal Co., Ltd

· Shanghai (CNSHA) – Yang Shan Phase 1, Yang Shan Phase 3, Wai Gao Qiao Phase 4

· Tianjinxingang (CNTXG) – Tianjin Port Pacific International Container Terminal Co., LTD. (TPCT Terminal)

South China:

· Fangchenggang (CNFAN) – Fangcheng Gang Beibu Gulf Port Co., Ltd

· Fuzhou (CNFOC) – Fuzhou Jiang Yin International Container Terminal (FICT)

· Fuzhou (CNMAW) – Mawei Terminal

· Hong Kong (HKHKG) – Hong Kong International Terminals Limited (HIT), Modern Terminals Limited (MTL)

· Nansha (CNNSA) – Guangzhou South China Oceangate Container Terminal Company Limited (GOCT)

· Shantou (CNSWA) – Shantou Port Group Co.,Ltd  Huagang Container Branch

· Shenzhen (CNCWN) – Chiwan Container Terminal (CCT), Mawan Container Terminal (MCT)

· Shenzhen (CNSHK) – Shekou Container Terminal

· Shenzhen (CNYTN) – Yantian International Container Terminal

· Xiamen (CNXMN) – Xiamen International Container Terminal (XICT), Xiamen Songyu Container Terminal (XSCT), Xiamen  Haitian Container Terminal (XHCT)

You could find MSC booking agents throughout China onMSC’s website.

Final Words

Mediterranean Shipping Company's history is only half a century, but it has rapidly developed into the world's second-largest shipping company. Now it is on the verge of taking the crown as the world's biggest container group, overtaking AP Moller-Maersk.