Hapag-Lloyd purchases huge batch of containers
German shipping line Hapag-Lloyd has ordered one of the biggest batches of containers in its history. The company will add to its container fleet dry and cold boxes as well as those dedicated to oversized or dangerous goods.
In 2021 Hapag-Lloyd’s container fleet will increase by 158,000 TEU. To this end, the German shipping line will allocate around 550 million US dollars to be one of the company’s largest investments in this area. All the boxes will be produced in China.
The dry and cold containers form the vast majority of the order or 150,000 TEU. As for special boxes for oversized or dangerous goods, Hapag-Lloyd purchased 8,000 TEU. The shipping line received some containers from this order in the first quarter of the current year. Meanwhile, a larger number of boxes will be delivered to the company in the coming months.
Unprecedented demand
Due to the pandemic, the shipping industry suffers from delayed shipments and port congestions. This caused a global shortage of containers for shippers and forwarders. “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.