COSCO Shipping Holdings, which includes COSCO Shipping Lines and OOCL, has reported a ‘resilient’ third quarter with regard to liftings but seen a sharp drop in profits year-on-year.
In Q3 2024 the group saw average revenue on international routes of USD 1,759/TEU — but this year in Q3 the number was just USD 1,280/TEU; nevertheless this was up from USD 1,100/TEU in Q2 2025.
Net profit was USD 1.2 billion in Q3 2025, 63% lower yeqar-on-year but much higher than Q2 this year. Q3 liftings were up to 6.9 million TEU, the highest loads this year.
For the first three quarters of 2025 Cosco Shipping Holdings’ container shipping turnover declined by 4% to USD 23.5 billion; operating profit went down by 29% to USD 5.2 billion and consolidated net profit (attributable to shareholders) fell by 29% to USD 3.8 billion). Despite the falls, these are still big figures, analysts noted.
“Throughout the year to date, container shipping rates have remained volatile due to persistent spillover effects of tariff policies, intensified geopolitical uncertainties and a slowdown in global cargo trade demand growth.
“Amid this complex landscape, Cosco Shipping Holdings maintained a strategic focus to navigate towards its development goals and dynamically optimised its global network layout and marketing strategies. By further advancing its transformation toward "digital intelligence" and "green low-carbon" operations, the company has laid a solid foundation for high-quality development,” it said.
“Looking ahead, the container shipping industry will continue to navigate a complex and volatile market environment. The global geopolitical and trade landscape will become increasingly uncertain. The global economic environment is undergoing profound changes and the international shipping market is facing severe challenges. Meanwhile, technological revolution and industrial transformation are deepening, exerting far-reaching impacts on container shipping sector.
“Against this backdrop, Cosco Shipping Holdings will remain committed to its positioning as a “global digital supply chain operation and investment platform with a primary focus on container shipping”. The company commits itself to delivering superior services to customers and continuously creating value for shareholders.”
The group's terminal business, COSCO Shipping Ports, reported a total throughput of 113.28 million TEU for the first nine months, a 5.60% increase year-on-year.