The Gemini Cooperation partnership is undergoing a strategic realignment of its routes, focusing its efforts on the Asia–Mediterranean corridor. According to Sea-Intelligence analysis, Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk are gradually reducing capacity on Asia–North America (both West and East Coast) and Asia–Northern Europe routes, redirecting vessels to services between Asia and the Mediterranean.

Capacity Redistribution

Capacity data shows a decline in Gemini’s share on the main east-west routes. Analysis of volume changes indicates a deliberate reallocation of resources: Gemini is reducing its presence on transpacific and Asia–Northern Europe routes to boost capacity on the Asia–Mediterranean line.

Market Share Dynamics

From June 2025, when the Gemini network is considered fully launched, Sea-Intelligence notes the following changes in market share by capacity:

• On the transpacific route to the US West Coast, the share dropped from 16% to 12.7%.
• On the Asia–North America (East Coast) route, the share decreased from 20.7% a year ago to 17.9% currently.
• On the Asia–Northern Europe line, the share peaked at 27.8% last year but now stands at 22.5%.

This reduction is linked to a vessel cascading program: the average vessel size on the AE3 Asia–Northern Europe line was reduced from 18,900 TEU to 17,100 TEU at the start of the year, and then to 13,200 TEU by the end of May. As a result, Gemini’s weekly capacity dropped by about 5,500 TEU during the market expansion leading up to the summer peak.

Growth on the Asia–Mediterranean Route

Vessels withdrawn from Northern European routes are being reassigned to the Asia–Mediterranean line. Here, market share is expected to rise from 23.5% in June 2025 to 29.7% the following month. The Gemini AE15 service is being upgraded, with average vessel size increasing from 13,100 TEU to 18,400 TEU. In April, a fourth Asia–Mediterranean service (AE19) was launched, including a call at the port of Jeddah via the southern entrance of the Suez Canal.

The physical redeployment of 18,000 TEU vessels from the Asia–Northern Europe route to Asia–Mediterranean, along with the launch of the new service, has resulted in a significant increase in Gemini’s capacity on this corridor—well above what is needed to maintain its baseline market share.

Gemini’s Strategic Approach

Gemini’s strategy stands apart from its competitors. While the Ocean Alliance distributes capacity across all major east-west routes, Gemini is concentrating its resources on a single corridor, aiming for a denser and more frequent network between Asia and the Mediterranean. This focused approach is expected to deliver greater benefits than maintaining market share on other routes.