(Reuters) – China’s COSCO Shipping took the top spot in the number of container liftings in the third quarter, overtaking Denmark’s Maersk Line for the first time, data from shipping consultancy Alphaliner showed. China’s government is pushing to raise the country’s profile in global shipping and last year merged two state-owned firms to form COSCO Shipping, aiming to challenge the dominance of top players Maersk Line and Switzerland’s MSC.
COSCO lifted 5.49 million TEU (20-foot container units) in the third quarter, up 23 percent from the same period last year, surpassing Maersk’s 5.26 million TEU, according to the Alphaliner data, which was published this week.