China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES) has announced plans to consolidate its holdings in Antong Holdings, forming “China Merchants Container Shipping” through a strategic restructuring involving Sinotrans Shipping and Guangzhou China Merchants Ro-Ro Transport.
According to Chinese news sources, CMES has unveiled plans to consolidate its holdings in Antong Holdings, signaling the formation of a new entity named “China Merchants Container Shipping.” This strategic move involves Antong Holdings acquiring 100% equity in Sinotrans Shipping and 70% equity in Guangzhou China Merchants Ro-Ro Transport, thereby restructuring and potentially listing these entities under Antong Holdings.
Post-restructuring, CMES will maintain its equity structure while Antong Holdings assumes control of Sinotrans Shipping and Guangzhou Ro-Ro. This reorganization positions CMES to become the controlling shareholder of Antong Holdings, with China Merchants Group exerting overall control. The integration aims to capitalize on synergies between their respective businesses—container shipping and Ro-Ro services—which are expected to enhance profitability and shareholder returns.
In terms of operational scale, Sinotrans Shipping currently operates 31 vessels with a total capacity of 48,280 TEU, while Antong Holdings operates 83 vessels with 83,008 TEU capacity, ranking it among China’s top three domestic trade container logistics firms.
The merger will consolidate their fleet to 114 vessels and a total capacity of 130,000 TEU, elevating their global ranking to 19th and significantly boosting operational efficiencies and market competitiveness.
