The Triple-E would not exist without the remarkable economic growth of China. And as the world’s second largest economy continues its booming growth, the Triple-E will position Maersk Line to meet that growth in the most efficient way possible.

The traditional economic growth centres are shifting around the world, from West to East and also North to South. With a population of 1.3 billion people and projected Gross Domestic Product growth nearing 10 percent in the next decade, China is the biggest player among the emerging economic powerhouses.
 
For Maersk Line, this gradual change is reflected in the growing number of services covering Asian ports as well as the significant share of those services that connect China in particular to the rest of the world.

In 1968, Maersk Line had only one non-containerised service connecting Asia and Europe that consisted of twelve sailings per year and carried approximately 8,000 tonnes of cargo. Today, there are a total of 10 ‘strings’ consisting of 83 vessels travelling east and west covering the Asia - Europe trade. Together, they carry approximately 1.4 million FFEs (forty-foot containers) every year between the two continents. Two-thirds of this cargo goes to and from China.

Currently, Maersk Line has the largest market share of any container shipping line in this trade, moving 18 percent of the container cargo leaving Asia for Europe and 15 percent of the container cargo travelling from Europe to Asia.
 
The Triple-E vessels will touch five Chinese ports (Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen, Yantian and Hong Kong) adding significant capacity to the vessel strings serving Asia - Europe and furthering Maersk Line’s dominance in the trade.

The massive 18,000 TEU (twenty-foot containers) capacity of the Triple-E is purpose-built for these huge volumes and will enable Maersk Line to maintain its leadership position in this key trade. The vessel’s dramatically improved efficiency will also help limit the environmental impact of the region’s continued economic growth.