Gemini Cooperation, the Maersk-Hapag Lloyd alliance, has cut capacity on the Asia-North Europe route and shifted larger vessels into the Asia-Mediterranean trade, where its market share is projected to rise to 29.7 per cent by July 2026, reported Saint Petersburg's PortNews, citing Sea-Intelligence.

The move marks a reallocation of East-West vessel deployment rather than a uniform expansion. On the Asia-North Europe route, Gemini's share fell from 25.7 per cent in mid-May to 22.5 per cent by June 2026 after a downgrade of the AE3/NE3 service.

Following a two-week blanking in early June, the service resumed with 14,000 to 15,000 TEU ships replacing 18,000-plus TEU vessels. This change cut weekly deployed capacity on the lane by about 5,500 TEU.

In contrast, Gemini boosted its Asia-Mediterranean capacity. Its share is projected to rise from 23.4 per cent to 29.7 per cent by July 2026 after second-quarter changes. These changes included launching a fourth loop, AE19/SE4, with 14,000 TEU ships and upgrading AE15/SE3 from 13,100 TEU to 18,400 TEU.

Sea-Intelligence data showed that the 18,000 TEU ships removed from the Asia-North Europe route were redeployed into the Mediterranean upgrade. This switch added a net 22,402 TEU of weekly capacity and lifted Gemini's share on the lane to 28.1 per cent.

This strategy highlights Gemini's focus on developing a denser Asia-Mediterranean network, while the Ocean Alliance continues to expand across major trades.