By The Logistic News – November 13 2025
Rubrics : Maritime • Business • World
Hapag-Lloyd AG has joined the growing list of container carriers trimming expectations as global freight markets settle into a slower rhythm. The German shipping group said on Thursday its net profit for the first nine months of 2025 dropped by almost 50 percent, to roughly €846 million, reflecting softer spot rates, excess capacity, and a peak season that never fully materialised.
Revenue for the period slipped to €13.4 billion, down nearly 12 percent year-on-year. Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) plunged about 55 percent to €809 million, compared with €1.8 billion a year earlier. Management narrowed its full-year guidance to an EBIT range of €0.5 – 1.0 billion (previously €0.2 – 1.1 billion) while maintaining a cautious tone for the closing quarter.
Volumes told a mixed story. Container throughput rose around 9 percent to 10.2 million TEU, helped by solid North Europe and Latin America demand, but the average freight rate fell 4.8 percent to US $ 1 397 per TEU, erasing most of the benefit. CEO Rolf Habben Jansen said the group’s focus now lies on “discipline rather than expansion,” with cost control and service reliability taking precedence over market share.
“We’re managing through a period of normalisation. Rates are lower, costs remain high, but the fundamentals of global trade are intact,” Habben Jansen noted during the results call.
Operating conditions remain uneven. Persistent detours around the Red Sea, subdued U.S. import demand, and fluctuating bunker prices continue to blur visibility. Hapag-Lloyd confirmed it is preparing the launch of its Gemini Cooperation with Maersk, due to start in 2026, which will merge parts of their network management and slot exchanges. Analysts expect the alliance to improve schedule reliability and cut empty repositioning.
On the cost side, the company has reduced fleet-wide fuel consumption through voyage optimisation and slow steaming, while digital initiatives are expanding predictive-maintenance coverage across the fleet. Cash flow remains healthy, with an equity ratio near 70 percent, giving the line room to navigate volatile quarters ahead.
For shippers, the message is straightforward: rates may stay soft, but capacity is being managed tightly enough to avoid another free fall. After two years of record profits and one of painful adjustment, 2025 is shaping up as Hapag-Lloyd’s “back-to-normal” year—one where survival depends on steady hands more than windfall gains.
