The Maersk Alfirk, left, and Colorado Express container ships docked at the Port of Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California, US, on Thursday, April 24, 2025.
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Danish shipping giant Maersk on Thursday posted stronger-than-expected first-quarter operating profit and maintained its full-year guidance.
The company, widely regarded as a barometer of global trade, reported preliminary underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $2.71 billion for the first three months of the year.
That’s up 70% from $1.59 billion over the same period a year earlier and above the $2.57 billion expected by analysts in an LSEG poll.
Maersk kept its 2025 profit guidance unchanged at between $6 billion and $9 billion but said global container market volume growth had been revised to -1% to 4% “given the increased macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty.”
Disruption in the Red Sea, meanwhile, is expected to continue throughout the rest of the year, Maersk said.
“We delivered strong results compared to the same quarter last year, driven by momentum in our operational efficiency and a global economy in good shape for the first three months,” Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc said in a statement.
“With trade tensions flaring up and uncertainty on the rise, global supply chains are once again in the spotlight,” he added.
The results come as the shipping industry continues to navigate a complex tariff landscape sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.
Trump’s current policy includes 145% import duties on products from China, prompting Beijing to hit back with tariffs on U.S. goods.
Shares of Maersk are down roughly 6% year-to-date.
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