Since the mid-2000s, the maximum size of containerships has doubled. In 2020, the biggest vessels in operation exceeded 23.000 TEU capacity. The largest vessels of all operate on the Far East-Europe routes, also calling in ports in the Gulf and the Indian Sub-Continent (ISC). It is on this route that the largest vessel was operating in 2020 (23,964 TEU). North American ports also serve some of the largest container vessels in operation, with the largest vessel of all those calling on North America having a 23,756 TEU capacity. A decade ago, in 2010, the maximum vessel size in all these regions of the world was less than 15,000 TEU.
The biggest vessels do not call in the other regions of the world. The biggest container vessel calling in sub-Saharan Africa stands at 15,000 TEU capacity, in Latin America at a capacity slightly less than that (14,354 TEU) and in Oceania at 11,000 TEU. Yet, since 2010, the scale of the maximum container vessel calling has doubled in these regions of the world as well.
The increase in vessel size is not reflected solely in the maximum size of the vessel. It has been accompanied by a cascading effect in the feeder market as well. As larger vessels call at major hubs, the feeder market is served by vessels that had previously been engaged in main maritime transportation routes, increasing the pressure on medium- and small-sized container ports to adjust as well. Calls of post-Panamax sized vessels take place in a large cluster of container ports in different parts of the world. Ports have to continuously adapt to the upscaling of operations, both in terms of infrastructure and operations.