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The container shipping industry posted a net income of $4.4 billion for the second quarter of 2025, marking a significant 56% sequential decline from the $9.9 billion earned in Q1, according to maritime financial analyst John McCown. The figure also represents a steep 63.7% year-over-year drop from the $12 billion profit recorded in Q2 2024.
This marks the third consecutive quarter of declining profits for the sector, following a period of extraordinary earnings growth sparked by the Red Sea crisis. McCown notes that his earlier prediction of $5 billion in Q2 earnings proved “too optimistic” as the industry faces mounting headwinds.
“The container shipping industry is moving into a headwind driven by tariff and related trade initiatives of the US,” McCown writes, explaining that these measures are already reducing container volumes into and out of American ports. With US lanes representing approximately one-third of worldwide container miles, these disruptions are creating ripple effects throughout the global shipping network.
