MSC recently completed a purchase of two additional boxships from German owners, bringing its total secondhand acquisitions over the four-year period to 383 units. The latest ships purchased are the 1,440 TEU Cape Flint, built in 2006 and acquired from Schoeller Group, and the 2,526 TEU Jan Ritscher, built in 1999 and bought from Reederei Gerd Ritscher.
Both vessels are expected to be renamed MSC Manasvi II and MSC Shivalika III, respectively. Although the sale price has not been disclosed, the online platform VesselsValue estimates their combined value to be over $25 million.
While MSC has been actively acquiring mid-sized secondhand vessels, it is also pursuing new builds. Last month, the company was reported to be in discussions with smaller shipyards in China for a new series of vessels, and in July, MSC purchased two 14,000 TEU container ships under construction at Jiangnan Shipyard from BAL Container Line for a total of more than $330 million.
MSC, led by CEO Soren Toft, currently operates a fleet with a capacity exceeding 6 million TEU, which accounts for a 20% share of the global container fleet. According to Alphaliner, the company's order book includes around 130 ships, which could add another 1.8 million TEU slots in the coming years.
Additionally, the Hamburg Parliament is expected to make a final decision regarding MSC's proposed investment in the port logistics company HHLA. The deal, initially set for approval before the summer recess, was delayed until September 4 due to objections from the opposition. It is anticipated that the ruling red-green coalition will approve the deal in a final vote, given their two-thirds majority in the parliament.
