Hapag-Lloyd is stepping up once more the investment in its container fleet in light of the current situation – similar to what the container shipping line did in 2020 in its initial response to the pandemic – as today it needs significantly more than the normal number of boxes to carry the same volume because boxes are turning slower.

The container shipping line has ordered 150,000 TEU from China – both dry boxes and state-of-the-art reefer containers. Some of the boxes were already delivered to Hapag-Lloyd and integrated into its existing container fleet in the first quarter for 2021, but the majority of them are expected to be delivered in the upcoming months. Additionally, Hapag-Lloyd has ordered 8,000 TEU of special containers to be used for over-sized or dangerous goods.

“The container shipping industry is currently seeing unprecedented demand, which has led to a shortage of containers all over the world. With its recent container orders, Hapag-Lloyd is contributing to efforts to ease the current situation and will be able to offer its customers a much better service,” says Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd.

The investments amount to roughly USD 550 million – making it one of the biggest container orders in the history of Hapag-Lloyd.