According to Alphaliner data, 2025 could be the year with the least cargo disposals in the last two decades
Container ship demolitions are at an all-time low, according to analyst Alphaliner.
By mid-2025, fewer than 4,000 TEUs of total capacity had been scrapped worldwide. If this rate continues into the second half of the year, 2025 will mark the lowest annual total of TEUs scrapped in two decades.
During the first half of the year, seven container ships, averaging approximately 500 TEUs per vessel, were sent to scrap yards. Although 2022 still holds the record for the fewest ships scrapped (only five), the total TEUs removed from the market that year was approximately three times higher than in 2025 so far.
The average age of ships scrapped in 2025 is 28 years, higher than the average of approximately 26 years for the previous two decades.
On the other hand the average operating margin for the leading container carriers fell to its lowest level in four quarters, despite the front loading of cargo by American shippers looking to get ahead of Chinese tariffs. The nine largest companies reporting Earnings before Interest and Tax, or EBIT,Posted an average margin of 18.1% for the first three months, down from 25.8% in the previous quarter, with lines reporting a wide variety of results
The seventh largest carrier globally, Evergreen Marine Corp, returned to the top of the rankings with a margin of 26.7%. It has now reported the highest margin in seven out of the last thirteen quarters.
 A surprise entry of ONE at the list
Japan’s Ocean Network Express (ONE) was a surprise entry at the list, with a margin of just 5.2%. Despite enjoying a 9.1% increase in average rates, gains on freight were offset by higher operating, variable and overhead costs Meanwhile, ONE’s liftings rose by a modest 2.3% year-on- year, and the carrier noted weakening cargo demand after the Lunar New Year
Related : CMA CGM overtakes MAERSK in global container rankings
