Hapag-Lloyd has increased its container fleet by an additional 60,000 TEU in response to equipment shortages and increased demand for cargo space in Asia.
In a statement, the carrier said the new containers will be in addition to those already being produced and scheduled. The majority of the latest new boxes will be delivered in Q3 2021.
In April of this year, Hapag-Lloyd announced orders for a total of around 150,000 TEU of standard and reefer containers to be delivered over the course of 2021. The company had also invested in its container fleet at the beginning of the pandemic.
Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO, Hapag-Lloyd, described the lack of equipment as one of the container shipping industry’s biggest challenges and one that “demands our full attention”.
“To counteract the container shortage – but, most importantly, to offer our customers a better service – we have repeatedly invested in our container fleet since the beginning of the pandemic,” Jansen said.
In February 2021, Jansen said he expected the digitalisation of the container shipping industry to continue as carriers, ports and operators look to meet the surge in demand efficiently and in a sustainable way.
