Hapag-Lloyd today forecasted that its earnings in 2025 will fall to the range of $2.5 to $4.0 billion as measured by EBITDA after posting earnings of $5.0 billion in 2024, saying that the economic and geopolitical environment for container shipping remains fragile.
According to the German transportation provider’s annual report, its earnings rose slightly last year from $4.8 billion in 2023, but its profit was below that of the prior year, particularly owing to lower interest income and higher tax expenses. Hapag-Lloyd listed profit of $3.2 billion in 2023 and $2.6 billion in 2024.
The company also said it had invested in significant upgrades over the past year, including modernizing its vessel fleet and launching its “Gemini” network collaboration with fellow container steamer Maersk. However, the company noted that its outlook remains subject to considerable uncertainty due to the highly volatile development of freight rates and major geopolitical challenges.
“In 2025 we are off to a very good start with Gemini, but the economic and geopolitical environment remains fragile,” Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd AG, said in a release. “In this context, we anticipate earnings in 2025 to be lower than in 2024. In the first half of the current year, we will implement our Gemini network and expect to set new standards in terms of schedule reliability. We will continue to develop Hanseatic Global Terminals and await to further grow our inland business. At the same time, we will keep a very close eye on our unit costs and focus on becoming even more efficient and climate-friendly.”
