The world’s biggest shipping company, Denmark’s A.P. Moeller-Maersk, reported Tuesday a sharp rise in earnings amid strong worldwide demand for shipments of goods as the economy bounces back from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Copenhagen-based company said revenue grew nearly 68% in the third quarter, to a record-high $16.6 billion, up from $9.9 billion in the same three-month period last year. It reported profits of $5.5 billion, up from $947 million in the same period last year.

“In the ongoing exceptional market situation, with high demand in the U.S. and global disruptions to the supply chains, we continued to increase capacity and expand our offerings to keep cargo moving for our customers,” CEO Soren Skou said.

The urgent need for more shipping capacity comes amid soaring consumer demand for everything from cars to furniture and labor shortages in the rebounding economy, leading to major backups at ports and higher prices. The supply chain issues have caused a shortage of key equipment: shipping containers.

In a statement, Maersk said its key ocean business is now “expected to grow below the global container demand" amid uncertainty around the supply chain logjams.

The company also announced its intention to acquire Senator International, a global freight forwarding company with strong air freight offerings. And to expand its own air network, Maersk is adding aircraft to its operations: three leased cargo planes to be operational from 2022 and two Boeing aircraft to be deployed by 2024.

Share:
More In Business
Stretching Your Dollar: How OneMain Financial is Teaching Kids About Credit
Learning about money is a skill that should be learned at an early age. OneMain Financial is now offering a financial course called 'Credit Worthy' across several high schools across the country, along with some scholarships. Doug Shulman, CEO of OneMain Financial, joined Cheddar News to discuss the importance of learning and understanding credit. "Over half of high school students graduate without knowing the basics about credit," Schulman said. "It really helps establish a great foundation to being an independent adult, to have a healthy and happy life, and some financial security is part of that."
Potential Strike by Las Vegas Workers
Thousands of hospitality workers across 18 casinos in Las Vegas have announced they are set to strike if a new contract agreement is not reached by Friday, November 10.
Apple Beats Expectations in Latest Quarter
Apple posted better-than-expected profit and revenue in the latest quarter but said sales dropped for the fourth straight quarter, including a drop in revenue for iPads and iMacs.
Load More