Hapag-Lloyd has published preliminary and unaudited figures for the first quarter of 2025, reporting a significant increase in its operating result compared to Q1 2024.
For the first quarter of 2025, Group EBITDA rose by 17% over the prior-year figure, reaching USD 1.1 billion (EUR 1.0 billion).
Group EBIT improved by 24% in the same period, totaling USD 0.5 billion (EUR 0.5 billion).
According to the company, the primary factors contributing to this development were a transport volume of 3.3 million TEU and an average freight rate of 1,480 USD/TEU. Both figures were 9% higher than in the first quarter of 2024, attributed to strong demand.
Revenues for Q1 2025 were USD 5.3 billion (EUR 5.1 billion), compared to USD 4.6 billion (EUR 4.3 billion) in Q1 2024. Despite the first-quarter performance, Hapag-Lloyd continues to expect lower results for the full year 2025.
Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd AG, stated: “We got 2025 off to a good start in the first quarter, but the market environment is currently characterized by many uncertainties. We therefore continue to expect lower results for 2025 as a whole. We will rigorously implement our Strategy 2030, set a new standard of quality in the market for our customers with our Gemini Cooperation, and further expand Hanseatic Global Terminals. At the same time, we will make our fleet even more efficient and continue to decarbonize it. In addition, we will keep a close eye on our costs and work intensively on becoming even more digital and efficient.”
The Executive Board's forecast for the 2025 financial year remains a Group EBITDA in the range of USD 2.5 to 4.0 billion (EUR 2.4 to 3.9 billion) and a Group EBIT in the range of USD 0.0 to 1.5 billion (EUR 0.0 to 1.5 billion).
The company notes that this forecast is subject to considerable uncertainty due to the volatile development of freight rates and major geopolitical challenges, including the ongoing situation in the Red Sea and global trade conflicts, which could impact supply and demand in container shipping and earnings.
Hapag-Lloyd is one of the world’s leading liner shipping companies. It operates a fleet of 299 modern container ships with a total transport capacity of 2.3 million TEU. The company has approximately 14,000 employees in its Liner Shipping segment across 397 offices in 139 countries. Its total container capacity, including reefers, is 3.7 million TEU. Hapag-Lloyd offers 113 liner services globally, connecting over 600 ports. In its Terminal & Infrastructure segment, the company holds equity stakes in 21 terminals located in Europe, Latin America, the United States, India, and North Africa, employing 2,900 staff who also provide complementary logistics services at specific sites.