Maersk reported a 59% increase in full-year profits in 2024 but continues to lag behind industry peers in financial returns, EBIT margin, and volume growth. Although Maersk recorded its third-best annual performance in company history, its financial returns (based on annualized RoE and RoA) slipped ranked to seventh since 2002, hindered by excessive cash reserves and underperformance in its logistics business segment. Maersk is sitting on net cash of $7.6bn as at end of 2024, equivalent to abou
Charter rates have resumed their tentative climb after the holidays in the Far East, with a shortage of prompt tonnage keeping rates at elevated levels across all size segments. Improved rates were recorded in the feeder sizes where most of the chartering activity have been focused especially in the Atlantic. There are limited deals in the larger sizes, with one notable fixture last week for the 4,957 teu X-PRESS BARDSEY on a short 2-3m charter to CMA CGM at a relatively strong rate of $63,000 t
The reduction in cargo volumes in North Asia after the Chinese New Year holidays has helped to ease the congestion at Chinese and Korean ports with the total vessel capacity waiting at anchorages in North Asia falling by over 50% from its recent peak in January. With 30% to 60% of the regular capacity departing from Chinese ports blanked in the last 2 weeks, vessel activity has slowed down considerably, allowing ports to recover from the recent high volumes. Early flash reports suggest January
EC freight futures surged following the Chinese New Year holidays, with April-December 2025 contracts rising by 20% to 53% in the shortened 4 day trading week. Average daily trading volumes and open interest positions both increased by 19% on strong trading interest sparked by the potential escalation of the conflict in the Middle East after the US proposal to take over Gaza was rejected by the majority of the Arab states. Several EC contracts hit their upper daily trading limits on 7 and 10 Fe
SCFI spot rates to North Europe fell sharply last week, dropping by 15.9% from the pre-holiday level with blank sailings unable to keep pace with the drop in cargo volumes across most Far East origins. Rates to the Med have held up relatively better, with the Med rate premium over the North Continent widening to 68% with the strong demand in the Red Sea taking away some of the Med capacity operated by niche carriers that are using the faster Suez route. Although Hapag-Lloyd announced a speculat
Register Free Trial Container freight futures have rallied sharply, with December 2025 contracts surging by 53% over the past week as hopes for an early return of containerships to the Suez route fade. Since the 19 January ceasefire agreement in Gaza, there has been no ships diverted back to the Suez route with all main carriers retaining their Cape routing at least until March. The potential return of the diverted Suez ships would release up to 7% of the global containership capacity with the
Emirates Shipping Line (ESL) has added an India-East Mediterranean Express (IEX) service connecting Mundra, Jeddah, Alexandria, Mersin, Iskenderun, Alexandria, Jeddah, Mundra. The service was launched on 18 November 2024 at Mundra and deploys the 1,781 teu ASL TAIPEI and ASL HONG KONG on a 28 day rotation with a fortnightly service frequency.
Wallenius SOL has added a new North Sea LoLo service connecting Rotterdam, Antwerp, Kokkola, Oulu, Tornio, Pitea, Rotterdam on a fortnightly frequency using the newly chartered 857 teu PEYTON LYNN C. The service started on 4 January 2025 at Antwerp. The new service will add to Wallenius SOL's current roro services on the North Sea Line Roro/Travemunde Line services that connects Zeebrugge, Antwerp, Kokkola, Skelleftea, Oulu, Kemi, Pietarsaari, Travemunde, Zeebrugge using 2 roro ships on a 14 da
CMA CGM will launch a new Egypt Greece Algeria Line (EGAL) calling at Alexandria, Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Malta, Annaba, Alexandria from February 2025. The EGAL will turn in 28 days and will deploy 4 ships of 1,300-1,400 teu. Originally scheduled to start on 12 February 2025, the first sailing has been delayed to 19 February 2025 with the 1,338 teu ATLANTIC SILVER at Alexandria.
Container freight futures market re-opened after Chinese New Year holidays with a sell-off on average volume as traders taking stocks of the changes over the past week where both MSC and CMA CGM join Hapag-Lloyd, HMM, Maersk and ONE to offer sub $3000 per FEU freight rates for shipments embarking in second half of February. Vessel utilization over the past seven days received a boost from a last-minute rush and the blank sailings starting this week. However, this uptick is unlikely to be sustai