Hapag Lloyd is further expanding its container fleet with 60,000 TEUs of standard containers ordered scheduled for delivery beginning in July in response to equipment shortage. 

In a statement, it said that it will also increase investment in its container fleet to 210,000 TEU in total.

"The sharp increase in demand has led to a shortage of containers across the world. Severe imbalances – such as with exports from Asia, but also owing to congestion in ports and delays in hinterland transports – are causing containers to be tied up in transit for considerably longer periods of time," the shipper said, adding that "more boxes are currently needed overall to manage the same transport volume."

Hapag Lloyd said, for this reason, it has once again invested in its container fleet and ordered an additional 60,000 TEU of standard containers from China.

Full delivery by Q3 2021

The first boxes will supplement those currently being produced and are scheduled to be delivered to Hapag-Lloyd as early as July and integrated into the existing fleet.

The majority will be subsequently delivered in the third quarter.

"Demand continues to be very high, and the supply of container equipment is currently one of our industry’s biggest challenges and 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," said Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd.

In April of this year, Hapag-Lloyd had already 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.