The Danish group, often seen as a key indicator of global trade trends, now expects underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of between $9 billion and $9.5 billion for 2025. This compares with its previous range of $8 billion to $9.5 billion.
In its third-quarter results released on Thursday, Maersk said global container demand grew between 3% and 5% year-on-year, defying trade disruptions. The company noted that exports from Far East Asia, particularly China, continued to drive “solid volume growth”.
Imports into Europe, Africa, Latin America and West Central Asia helped sustain trade flows, while shipments to North America weakened, especially from China to the United States.
Maersk’s third-quarter EBITDA dropped 44% year-on-year to $2.69 billion, slightly above analyst expectations of $2.58 billion, while revenue declined 10% to $14.2 billion, still outperforming forecasts of $13.8 billion.
“Despite lower freight rates, the pickup in container volumes has been stronger than anticipated, signalling resilience in global trade,” the company said.
–Reuters–
