Maersk Line sails in with $1.5bn profit

Maersk Line returned a US$1.5bn profit in 2013, significantly above and more than tripling its US$461m profit for 2012; volumes increased by 4.1% to 8.8m FFE (8.5m FFE – 2012).

The line expects its 2014 results to be in line with those of last year, although it plans to grow with the market, in which it envisages global demand in the container sector to increase by between 4% and 5%.

Its results were achieved through vessel network efficiencies resulting in lower unit costs, supported by lower bunker prices.  Fleet capacity increased marginally by 0.2% to 2.6m teu following the delivery last year of the first four Triple-E vessels.