The business of the world’s fifth largest compagnia di navigazione specializzata nel trasporto container has seen growth this week, as the company’s CEO stated that the ceasefire in the trade war has released a suppressed demand for trans Pacific shipping. Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag Lloyd, revealed during the company’s first quarter earnings conference call that the company has seen a surge in bookings on its China US routes since the weekend. Driven by the preliminary tariff agreement reached over the weekend, we have seen a surge in trading volume in the past few days, “he told analysts.

This week’s booking volume has increased by more than 50% compared to last week, due to a decrease in shipping costs, but also because some goods are backlogged in China and now need to be transported. It is difficult to predict whether this wave will last for 60 to 90 days or for a long time, but we do not believe it will last long. This will also depend on further talks between China and the United States, “Mr. Habben Jansen added.
cautiously optimistic
In an interview conducted after Hapag Lloyd announced its first quarter results, Jansen said that despite limited visibility into the future due to the uncertainty of tariffs, “I remain cautiously optimistic that we will not fall into a recession
Since the Houthi militants in Yemen began attacking merchant ships passing through the Red Sea at the end of 2023, major shipping companies including Hapag Lloyd have been avoiding navigation in the Red Sea. The routes diverted in southern Africa are much longer, which limits global container capacity and supports sea freight rates.
Hapag Lloyd stated on Wednesday that even after both sides announced a ceasefire earlier this month, the long-term safety of commercial vessels remains uncertain.
The company stated in its quarterly report, “It is currently unclear when transportation across the Red Sea will resume safely, which means that transportation costs are expected to continue to increase due to necessary vessel diversions around the Cape of Good Hope