Hapag-Lloyd has reported a group EBITDA of 1.0 billion ($1.1 billion) for Q1 2025, with EBIT rising to 463 million ($487 million) and profit increasing 45 percent 446 to million ($469 million).
In the Liner Shipping segment, evenue reached 5.0 billion ($5.2 billion), driven by a 9 percent year-on-year (YoY) increase in both transport volume (3.3 million TEU) and average freight rate USD 1,480/TEU).
Segment EBITDA rose 18 percent to 1.0 billion ($1.1 billion), a and EBIT climbed 25 percent to 448 million ($472 million).
The Terminal & Infrastructure segment posted an EBITDA of 34 million ($36 million) and EBIT of 14 million ($15 million).
During the quarter, Hapag- Lloyd also acquired a majority stake in the CNMP LH Terminal in Le Havre, enhancing its strategic presence in the French market.
Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd AG, said:
“With this quarterly result, we have gotten 2025 off to a good start.
“We have achieved the targeted high schedule reliability.
The situation in the Red Sea and the impact of global tariffs and trade policies continue to be causes for concern.
We will continue to implement our Strategy 2030, vigorously focus on our costs and target additional savings of more than $1 billion within the next 18 months.
” In March, Hapag-Lloyd, in collaboration with Seaspan Corporation and MAN Energy Solutions, announced its plans to convert five 10,100 TEU container vessels to methanol.
MSC announces new eco- friendly Hamburg HQ
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has concluded its architectural competition for a new German headquarters in Hamburg’s HafenCity.
The planned MSC office building in HafenCity’s Am Lohsepark district, partially extending into Brooktorhafen, is set to begin construction in 2026.
According to the Port of Hamburg, the inside of the building provides features such as plant areas, quiet zones, phone booths, and informal workspaces enhancing productivity.
The design follows a comprehensive sustainability and energy strategy aimed at qualifying for the DGNB Special Award for Environmental Labelling.
The structure features a recycled concrete base, reclaimed clinker, a reversible heat pump, waste heat recovery, and solar panels.
Dr Melanie Leonhard, Senator for Economic Affairs and Innovation, said:
“MSC has a long-term commitment to the Port of Hamburg the new German headquarters in HafenCity is a clear sign of this.
“The new headquarters strengthens Hamburg’s position as a leading German shipping location and the network of the maritime industry here.
We look forward to the future cooperation and the additional jobs that will be created.
“Franz-Josef Höing, Chief Planning Director, stated:
“HafenCity is gaining a beautiful, elegant building.
The building fits perfectly into the urban context, contours the water’s edge and forms a wonderful vantage point opposite the Deichtorhallen.
“Last month, the world’s largest MSC vessel made its maiden call at the Colombo East Container Terminal (CECT) of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA).
Chittagong terminal opens with US$60 million investment
RED Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT) Chittagong, the first privately-owned container terminal in Bangladesh, has begun full gateway operations reports London’s Port Technology International.
This development follows the arrival of the Maersk Chattogram at RSGT and the completion of trial ICTSI operations.
This follows a US$3.5 million investment in a new scanner capable of inspecting and process comping up to 150 containers per hour.
The terminal has invested $26 million in 14 rubber tyred gantry RTG) cranes and $30 million in four ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, with the goal of increasing annual container handling capacity from 250,000 TEU to 600,000 TEU by early 2026.
Said RSGT Bangladesh CEO Erwin Haaze:
“We are proud to be contributing to the growth and modernisation of Bangladesh’s maritime trade.
“RSGT International and the Port of Tadjourah recently signed an agreement to invest in and manage a multipurpose facility at the Red Sea-Arabian Sea junction on the East African Coast.
Nigeria's US$3b air cargo sector hit by Trump tariffs
NIGERIA’S air cargo sector, projected to reach a market size of US$3.42 billion in 2025, may face setback following new cargo tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, reports Lagos Daily Independent.
Cargo experts note that shipments from Nigeria to the US are largely informal and not exported in significant commercial volumes.
While opinions vary on how much the tariff hike will impact Nigeria’s economy, there is broad agreement that diplomatic efforts are essential to resolving the issue.
In 2024, Nigeria’s air freight market was valued at $3.01 billion, with optimistic projections of growth to $3.42 billion in 2025.
The sector was expected to maintain strong momentum, with Compound Annual Growth Rate CAGR) of 13.54 percent, potentially reaching $5.64 billion by 2029.
However, the newly introduced tariffs now pose a threat to these forecasts.
Air cargo volume in Nigeria for 2024 was estimated at 1.61 million tonne-kilometres, showing a modest rise from 1.60 million in 2023.
With global trade dynamics shifting, industry stakeholders stress the need for strategic engagement and policy adjustments to safeguard Nigeria’s growing cargo industry.
Transpacific rates stable as trade continues
FREIGHT rates from Shanghai to Los Angeles fell two percent to US$2,617 per FEU according to the last week’s Container Index of spot rates.
Shanghai to New York decreased three percent, or $95, to $3,611.
Rates from Los Angeles to Shanghai remained stable.
The slip comes in the face of US tariffs of as much as 245 percent on some Chinese exports that have cratered us bound exports as shippers cancel factory orders, carriers increase blank sailings and importers scramble to realign supply chains.
Drewry, the London research house, said it expects rates to continue to decline in the coming weeks due to uncertainty stemming from reciprocal tariffs.
Similarly, rates from Rotterdam, Netherlands, to Shanghai decreased two percent to $481 per FEU, while Rotterdam to New York fell one percent to $2,109 per FEU.
New York to Rotterdam increased one percent or $8 to $825 per FEU.
The Drewry WCI composite index decreased two percent to $2,157 per FEU,79 percent below the previous pandemic peak of $10,377 in September 2021.
That was still 52 percent higher than the prepandemic average of $1,420 in 2019.
OOIL expands fleet
HONG KONG’s Orient Overseas (International) Ltd (OOIL), now a Cosco unit, said that its subsidiaries have ordered 14 containerships from China COSCO Shipping Corp totaling US$3.08 billion in value, Reuters reports.
The container transport and logistics firms said that the vessels, equipped with methanol dual fuel engines, will boost competitiveness and lower costs in both traditional and emerging markets.
Under the deal, a unit of state-owned China COSCO Shipping Corp will construct nine vessels, while an associate will build the remaining vessels.
China COSCO Shipping Corp also owns the Chinese container shipping company COSCO Shipping Holdings.
Orient Overseas plans to tap into loans and external debt to finance 60 percent of the cost of each vessel, while the rest will be funded through internal resources, site it said.
The vessels will be delivered between the third of quarter 2028 and the third quarter of 2029.
ICTSI, Port of Gdynia complete first quay upgrade riffs phase at BCT
International Container Terminal Services, Inc.
(ICTSI) and the Port of Gdynia Authority have completed Phase 1 of a major upgrade to the Helskie Quay at Baltic Container Terminal (BCT) in Gdynia.
Spanning 400 metres, the project is part of the Port of Gdynia’s efforts to accommodate larger vessels.
Phase 2, set for completion this September, will add another 100 metres of upgraded quay and a newly expanded turning basin, enabling vessels with a 14.7-metre draft and 400-metre length to dock at BCT.
Phase 1 involved the construction of 400 metres of quay with a depth of 15.5 metres, along with the installation of a new third rail for wider span cranes, new hydrotechnical structures, and upgraded roads and utility networks.
With an investment of $42 million, Phase I was completed on schedule, despite complex operational and environmental challenges.
Wojciech Szymulewicz, BCT Chief Executive Officer, said:
“The completion of Phase 1 of our development programme lays the foundation from which major benefits will be made available to clients.
“With the realisation of Phase 2, there will be a comprehensive upgrade of BCT’s operational capabilities, particularly in terms of vessel accommodation and over- all throughput potential.
“Phase 2’s completion will be accompanied by the delivery of either two or four new super postPanamax quay cranes, which will Opera significantly increase the berthing and operational capacities of the quay.
The cranes are also expected to raise BCT’s annual berth handling capacity to between 1.2 million and 1.6 million TEUS depending on the final configuration.
” Last month, BGT handled the HMM Daon-the largest container vessel to call at the port.