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Cargo shipping companies have been changing how they operate in the last ten years, shifting towards more specialized services and steadily breaking away from consolidated operations, according to Sea-Intelligence
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During the peak period of Vessel Sharing Agreements in 2014-2016, a single physical liner service was offered as a product by an average of 4.12 shipping lines; by August 2026, this multiplier has dropped to just 2.65
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This signals that “true operational competition” is back in the market
Cargo shipping companies have been changing how they operate in the last ten years, shifting towards more specialized services and steadily breaking away from consolidated operations, according to Sea-Intelligence.
“The global container shipping industry is undergoing a structural transformation, with shipping lines transitioning away from the highly homogenized networks of the past decade toward a landscape characterized by greater operational specialization,” Sea-Intelligence CEO Alan Murphy said in a news release.
The supply chain advisory and data analytics company said that in 2014 2016, the peak of market homogenization, the average liner service was a highly shared asset. Shipping lines were then relying extensively on dense Vessel Sharing Agreements (VSAs) to pool capacity, which means “the same physical service was marketed under multiple brand names by different shipping lines, creating an illusion of choice for shippers.”
READ: 2017 seen as year of ‘die-hard competition’ for shipping
Sea-Intelligence noted the “stark divergence” in recent years between the physical expansion of liner networks and the contraction of commercial offerings.
The underlying physical network has grown from roughly 250 active deep sea services in 2012 2013 to nearly 380 by late 2026, but the number of shipping lines actively offering space across these services has steadily declined. The average density of vessel sharing in the market this year has gone down to levels that are even lower during the pandemic years.
Competition is back
During the peak period of VSAs, a single physical liner service was offered as a product by an average of 4.12 shipping lines. By August 2026, this multiplier has dropped to just 2.65.
This shows that carriers are reducing their reliance on shared capacity and are increasingly choosing to shoulder more of the operational risk individually.
“Consequently, physical routing options are becoming increasingly distinct, signalling the return of true operational competition in the market,” Murphy said.
READ: Global delays in vessel movement worsened in Aug amid Asian ports congestion
