The world has invested insufficiently in container terminals for years, leaving global port infrastructure struggling to keep up with the increase in trade volumes, said Vincent Clerck, CEO of Maersk, during the 2025 financial results presentation. "During the next decade, there will be a significant need for investment in greenfield projects to match global container flows. That's also what we plan to do," added the executive, pointing to a wave of new facilities that are already coming online in 2025, with more scheduled for the coming months.
The group reported a net profit of $2.9 billion for the full year 2025, a considerable drop from the $6.2 billion of the previous year, as the company faced a significant decline in revenues from its Ocean business. However, the company's terminal business, APM Terminals, delivered its best performance in 2025, with record volumes, revenues, EBITDA, and EBIT.
EBIT reached $1.7 billion, a 31% increase compared to 2024, while ROIC improved to 16.1%. Revenues stood at $5.3 billion, a 20% increase compared to the $4.4 billion of the previous year.
Volume grew by 8.9%, raising utilization to 86% from 78%, with several terminals operating close to optimal capacity. Revenue per move increased by 8.2% to $364, supported by better rates, higher storage revenues, and a favorable terminal mix, while the cost per move rose by 8.3% to $279, reflecting labor inflation and increased operational and SG&A costs, partially offset by higher utilization.
Several terminals within the group achieved milestones during the year. The Rijeka Gateway terminal in Croatia officially began operations, while APM Terminals Callao in Peru completed Stage 3A of the modernization of its Northern Terminal. In Bangladesh, APM Terminals and QNS Container Services signed a 30-year concession to develop the Laldia Container Terminal. In Denmark, the company acquired a 39% stake in Fredericia Container Terminal A/S through a joint venture with Fredericia Shipping and ADP.
Regional performance was strong across all areas. North America’s volume increased by 11%, led by Los Angeles and Lázaro Cárdenas in Mexico, despite weaker volumes in Mobile and Port Elizabeth. Latin America saw a 13% increase, driven by Buenos Aires, Pecém, and Callao, while European volume increased by 9%, led by Vado in Italy and Aarhus in Denmark. Africa grew by 6.9%, with Apapa, Onne, and Monrovia showing greater performance, and Asia saw a 4.4% increase, with Aqaba in Jordan and Mumbai in India driving growth.
Maersk reported that Ocean's volume grew by 24%, while the volume from external customers increased by 1.6%. The disproportionate growth in internal versus external volume is driven by Ocean's transition from the old 2M alliance to the new East-West network operated through Gemini Cooperation.