People
Esben Christensen
Partner & Managing Director, Head Turnaround & Restructuring, United Kingdom
London
There's one thing container shipping operators are sure of: disruption is good for business. And the 2020s have given us some truly dire disruptions: a blocked canal, a global pandemic, armed conflicts on land and sea, bitter trade disputes, and we could go on. In the wake of the upheaval has come a volatile business environment, elevated rates, and record earnings.
Today the turmoil shows signs of subsiding. The potential reopening of the Red Sea to shipping activity, the vast amounts of new tonnage coming online in the next several years, and the easing of the U.S.-China trade tensions all suggest that rates could be poised for a bruising plunge in 2026.
The carriers’ hard-won profitability and financial stability are in jeopardy. Recognizing the threat, most of the major liners, including the 15 companies in our sample, have embarked on ambitious cost savings programs. And they are readying even more stringent measures should conditions warrant them.
Download the full report here.
