Two leading Greek and German boxship owners are plotting a commercial partnership that could create the largest fleet of charter market containerships.

Hamburg-based Dohle Group and Athens-headquartered Costamare Shipping have applied to the German competition authorities to forge a combined chartering brokerage.

The two tonnage providers already control the second and third-largest such fleets.

Their application to form the Greek-German chartering brokerage was lodged with Germany’s Federal Cartel Office on 10 August.