The latest Alphaliner update shows a stronger-than-expected rebound in container shipping profitability in Q3 2025, driven by record cargo volumes ahead of tariff and port fee deadlines. Average carrier margins rose sharply quarter-on-quarter, despite remaining well below last year’s highs.
The average operating margin for the leading container carriers rose back up in the third quarter of 2025, after the container market recorded its highest ever volume of quarterly cargo, with shippers adjusting consignments to avoid tariff and port fee deadlines.
As a result, the nine largest carriers publishing EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) reported an average 13.7% operating margin for the period, up from 9.9% in the previous quarter.
While profits and margins have fallen from the very high results a year ago, they are still strong historically and much better than expected at the start of the year.
In total, the top nine carriers generated operating profits (EBIT) of more than $4.3 billion for the quarter (more than $5 billion if CMA CGM is included, which does not publicly report EBIT). This brings the same nine carriers’ operating profit for January–September to a hefty $12.7 billion.
Diverse results among individual carriers:
Source: Alphaliner
