Combined operating profit of the largest global container shipping lines fell to $5.12 billion in the third quarter of 2025 from $17.06 billion a year earlier, according to Sea-Intelligence.
Despite the drop, the report notes that profitability is still above 2019 levels, which it interprets as a sign of market stabilisation after the extreme results of 2024.
Sea-Intelligence reports that operating activity remains resilient: six of seven carriers increased their global transported volumes.
Additional vessels and redesigned service networks enabled the companies to sail lengthened routes that bypass the Red Sea without a sharp rise in freight rates, in contrast to the situation a year earlier.
At unit level, COSCO achieved the highest EBIT per TEU in the third quarter at $350 per TEU, followed by ZIM at $280 per TEU; these were the only carriers with margins above $200 per TEU.
ONE reported EBIT of $85 per TEU, Maersk $83 per TEU and Hapag-Lloyd $65 per TEU, leaving all three below the $100 threshold. A year earlier, the lowest margin among these carriers was $335 per TEU, illustrating the scale of the correction from the peaks of 2024.
Sea-Intelligence ApS is a privately held research and analytics company providing data services and advisory work focused on the global supply chain and container shipping industry. It publishes analytical reports on liner performance, capacity, schedule reliability and the financial metrics of shipping companies.
