Maersk Reports Ocean Division Loss, Cuts 1,000 Jobs as Container 'Party' Ends

The dark clouds hanging over the container shipping industry thickened today as Maersk, following in the footsteps of Japan's Ocean Network Express (ONE), announced that its ocean division slid into the red in the final quarter of 2025.

The Danish shipping giant also revealed plans to cut 1,000 jobs this year. This move indicates that cost discipline is becoming a top priority on the agenda of most global carriers as they face a deteriorating rate environment.

Mr. Vincent Clerc, CEO of Maersk, acknowledged that 2025 was a year where global supply chains and trade continued to be shaped by what he described as “evolving geopolitics.”

Alarming Financial Results

Maersk’s ocean division reported an EBIT (Earnings Before Interest and Taxes) loss of USD 153 million, a deep dive from the USD 567 million profit in the previous quarter, and a severe drop from the massive USD 1.6 billion recorded in Q4 2024.

Additionally, the group announced a share buyback program worth DKK 6.3 billion (approximately USD 1 billion).

Earlier last week, Japanese carrier Ocean Network Express (ONE) sounded the alarm by reporting an operating loss of USD 84 million and a net loss of USD 88 million for Q4 2025. CEO Jeremy Nixon admitted his company is facing a “challenging operating environment.”

Expert View: The Downcycle Has Begun

Analysts at Linerlytica noted earlier this week: “Freight rates have continued to slip ahead of the Chinese New Year holidays and the carriers’ ability to stop the rate slump will continue to be tested in the coming months.”

Echoing this sentiment, a recent report from container booking platform Freightos stated: “Container freight is poised for a downcycle – putting downward pressure on rates and carrier revenue – as an unprecedented wave of new vessel capacity continues to enter the market.”

In its 2026 Financial Health Check for the liner shipping industry, Drewry warned that the sector is approaching a “structural reset” as rates normalize, pandemic-era windfall profits evaporate, and a massive newbuilding orderbook begins delivery.

Strategic Advice: Capital Discipline is Key

Drewry has urged carriers to shift from a boom mindset to tighter financial and operational management to navigate the upcoming low-margin and difficult cycle.

US consultancy AlixPartners also called on carriers to maintain strict capital discipline this year.

“With freight rates reverting toward pre-Suez crisis lows and shippers pressuring liners to transition back to the Suez Canal, carriers must execute aggressively on cost-saving programs while managing capacity through slow-steaming and vessel idling,”

They added: “The carriers’ strong balance sheets provide a crucial buffer, but capital discipline will be needed to avoid repeating the value-destructive boom-and-bust cycles of the past.”

The Suez Variable and 2026 Outlook

The fate of carriers this year will largely depend on the speed at which the industry returns to transiting the Suez Canal.

According to data from Xeneta, a large-scale return to shorter routes via the Suez Canal would effectively release 6-8% of global container transport capacity, exacerbating the oversupply situation.

Maersk issued a full-year 2026 EBIT guidance with a very wide range, heavily dependent on the timing of a Suez return. The carrier forecasts 2026 EBIT to range from a loss of USD 1.5 billion to a profit of USD 1.0 billion.

Explaining this forecast, the company stated: “The ranges reflect the expected overcapacity in the shipping industry and scenarios of a gradual Red Sea reopening in 2026.”

See more:

• NX China and SITC Launch Co-Branded Containers on Shanghai – Osaka Route
• SITC Increases Strong Profit and Market Share Growth in Intra-Asia Market
• Intra-Asia Freight Rates Continue to 'Bottom Out' Ahead of Lunar New Year
• Escalating US Tariffs: A Shock to African Airfreight and a Test for AfCFTA
• 2026 Global Logistics Market Outlook: 5 Key Trends by Transportation Mode
• WorldACD: Global Air Cargo Market Stabilizes Ahead of Lunar New Year
• Maersk Takes Over Two Panama Canal Gateway Ports Following Court Ruling
• Port of Savannah Wraps Up 2025 with Second-Highest Throughput in History
• International Shipping and Logistics Market Update Week 5/2026 | Phaata
• COSCO schedules: Vietnam - North America in Feb 2026
• SITC updates Vietnam-Intra Asia sailing schedules in Feb 2026
• COSCO updates Vietnam-North Europe sailing schedules in Feb 2026
• Port of Singapore 2025: Setting Double Records in Container Throughput and Bunkering

Source: Phaata.com (According to Splash247)

► Find Better Freight Rates & Logistics Service Providers!