The CMA CGM Group recently released its Q3 2025 financial results: Q3 revenue was $14.042 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 11.3%; EBITDA was $2.955 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 40.5%; net profit was $749 million, a year-on-year decline of 72.6%. Despite pressure on short-term financial indicators, the Group has not slowed its pace in capacity deployment, multimodal transport, and decarbonization transition, and is advancing a series of concrete investments and new vessel orders in several strategic global markets.
CMA CGM management attributed the performance fluctuations to geopolitical and trade policy uncertainties, which have significantly suppressed freight rates. Nevertheless, CMA CGM’s shipping volume showed some resilience: Q3 2025 volume reached 6.17 million TEU, a year-on-year increase of approximately 2.3%, while average revenue per TEU was $1,452, a year-on-year decrease of approximately 19%. The shipping segment’s quarterly revenue was $8.964 billion, with EBITDA of $2.228 billion; cumulative revenue for the first three quarters was $40.47 billion, with EBITDA of $8.32 billion.
In terms of business structure, CMA CGM’s logistics segment was affected by weakness in the automotive market, with Q3 revenue of $4.578 billion and EBITDA of $428 million, showing declines to varying degrees; however, “Other Activities” including air cargo, port terminals, and media performed strongly, with quarterly revenue increasing 55% year-on-year to $1.218 billion and EBITDA surging nearly 100% year-on-year to $299 million. Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CMA CGM Group, stated in the earnings report that despite potential challenges from rising capacity and weakening demand in the coming months, CMA CGM will adjust flexibly with a long-term perspective and ongoing commitment to customers.
Looking towards medium- and long-term development, CMA CGM’s investments in key global ports and transport nodes have accelerated significantly. In India, the Group has decided to order six 1,700 TEU LNG dual-fuel container ships from Cochin Shipyard, scheduled for delivery between 2029 and 2031. It also committed to hiring 1,000 Indian seafarers by the end of 2025 and an additional 500 in 2026 to enhance local maritime manpower and operational capabilities. In the Middle East, CMA CGM signed a joint venture agreement with RSGT to participate in the construction and operation of Jeddah South Container Terminal 4, further solidifying its port footprint in Saudi Arabia. In Germany, CMA CGM announced the acquisition of a 20% stake in the EUROGATE Hamburg container terminal, supporting the terminal’s modernization and expansion project to increase annual handling capacity from 4 million TEU to 6 million TEU, thereby strengthening Hamburg’s position as a key Northern European shipping hub.
Simultaneously, CMA CGM’s multimodal transport capabilities in Europe are expanding: its acquisition of the UK rail operator Freightliner UK Intermodal Logistics will help shift freight from road to rail, supporting the Group’s decarbonization and efficiency goals. In France, CMA CGM plans to register ten 24,000 TEU-class LNG dual-fuel ultra-large container vessels, expected for delivery starting in 2026 for deployment on the main Asia-Europe route, with regular calls at Le Havre and Dunkirk. The Group also announced it will hire 135 seafarers in France and has invested approximately €14 billion cumulatively in the French market over the past five years, focusing on decarbonization, innovation, and inland waterway transport. In logistics and regional M&A, its subsidiary CEVA Logistics completed the acquisition of Turkey’s Borusan Logistics, further consolidating its position in the Turkish contract logistics market. On the air cargo side, it continues to strengthen its fleet, recently receiving its 5th Boeing B777F and planning to introduce eight A350F aircraft starting in 2027 to reduce its carbon footprint.
Regarding decarbonization transition and fleet scale, CMA CGM has set a long-term goal of achieving net-zero carbon by 2050 and is advancing its emission reduction pathway through orders for low-carbon vessels, fuel diversification, and enhancements in inland and river transport. Industry data indicates that CMA CGM currently operates approximately 706 container ships with a capacity of about 4.082 million TEU, ranking third among global liner companies; the Group owns 347 vessels and charters 359 vessels, with an additional 128 new vessels on order totaling approximately 1.713 million TEU, providing a foundation for capacity management and future growth.
Overall, while CMA CGM faces downward pressure on freight rates and profits in the short term, it is actively seeking new growth levers on the supply side and in its business structure by increasing port investments, expanding multimodal transport, advancing fleet greening, and strengthening logistics and air cargo capabilities.
