Despite the disruptions caused by Houthi rebel attacks on ships in the Red Sea, the outlook for global container trade is showing signs of improvement. Danish company Maersk, one of the world's largest container shipping lines, indicated in its quarterly earnings report that trade prospects have become more positive.
In the first quarter, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization fell to $1.6 billion, compared with $4 billion in the same period last year. However, the results have improved from the previous quarter.
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The company had already forecasted a growth in global container trade of 2.5 percent to 4.5 percent this year. Due to a strong start to the year, growth is expected to be at the higher end of this estimate. This is attributed to strong demand for container ships. Maersk has rerouted its ships around Africa to avoid the Red Sea.
Global supply chains are facing various disruptions, with the situation in the Red Sea being the most significant. Maersk has been avoiding the Red Sea for some time due to attacks by Houthi rebels from Yemen on cargo ships as retaliation for alleged support to Israel.
Source: Nederlands Dagblad