Safetrans Line Sells Entire Fleet to MSC Amid Strategic Shift

Safetrans Line, a China-based liner operator with a focus on Russia, has sold all four of its container ships to the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), further solidifying MSC's dominance in the global shipping industry.

The vessels, named SFT Egypt, SFT China, SFT Saudi, and SFT Turkey, have been acquired by MSC, although the purchase price remains undisclosed. According to a recent report by Linerlytica, Safetrans is expected to gain a profit of approximately $20 million per ship.

MSC has already taken delivery of SFT Egypt and SFT China, renaming them MSC Banjul IV and MSC Tia V, respectively. The remaining two vessels, SFT Saudi and SFT Turkey, are scheduled to be handed over in September.

With this acquisition, MSC, the leading Swiss-Italian shipping company, now operates a fleet exceeding 6 million TEU, further extending its lead over competitors as it gears up to operate independently in 2025 following the dissolution of its 2M alliance with Maersk Line.

In response to the sale, Safetrans plans to continue its services between China, Russia, and the Red Sea by chartering smaller, Chinese-owned vessels.

Safetrans first made its mark in 2022, stepping in to fill the void left by major shipping lines that ceased operations to Russia due to international sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Additionally, this year saw the emergence of another start-up, Sea Legend Shipping, incorporated in Singapore. This new line has begun operating in the Red Sea region, taking advantage of the gap left by other major operators who stopped transiting the area due to Houthi attacks.

Speculation suggests that Sea Legend Shipping, which uses ships with the SFT prefix, may be affiliated with Safetrans.

According to Linerlytica’s latest report, Safetrans recently acquired the 2,838 TEU Hua Da 610 from Xiamen Xinhuada and the 2,070 TEU Xin Yong Chang 19 from Shishi Yongyi Shipping, both of which were previously involved in domestic Chinese trade operations.