The competitiveness of mega liner shipping companies on Eurasia routes: consider the impact of the CR-Express services

Zhen Wu, Feng Lian and Zhongzhen Yang

Maritime Policy & Management, 2025, vol. 52, issue 4, 559-589

Abstract: The CR-Express has enhanced international container transport services and altered the competitive landscape of mega liner shipping companies (MLSCs) in the Eurasia container transport market. Given the continuous growth of the CR-Express’s market share, this study establishes a novel evaluation system to assess the competitiveness of the MLSCs, measuring their performance in the Eurasia container transport market and analyzing how their competitiveness transforms when they offer CR-Express service. To accurately calculate the four competitiveness indicators—namely spatial coverage, level of route customization, directness of shipping, and alternative routes—we constructed complex networks representing the Eurasia container transport system of the evaluated MLSCs across various topologies and conducted complex network analysis. The evaluation results indicate that Maersk, CMA CGM, and COSCO are the three most competitive liner shipping companies in the Eurasia container transport market before Maersk and COSCO’s involving in the CR-Express. The CR-Express has significantly bolstered the competitiveness of Maersk and COSCO, with COSCO surpassing Maersk and claiming the top globally after offering CR-Express service. However, the CR-Express, launched incrementally by the MLSCs, have not been seamlessly integrated into their overall maritime shipping networks, resulting in a sparse overall container transport network.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/03088839.2024.2342802

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