Containership Order Book Expected to Rise, Hapag-Lloyd Says

The global ship order book, representing 18% of the world fleet, is expected to increase, but within plausible levels, the head of German container liner Hapag-Lloyd told analysts on Wednesday.

"I expect the 18%, which as such is not worrying, to nudge up a bit, but delivery windows are long and so it does not have to be a problem," said Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of the company, which is the fifth-biggest worldwide in terms of operating tonnage.

The company reported lower net profit in the first half of 2024 but expected a good performance going forward amid high demand and spot freight rates, which shipping analysts tend to think could lead to excessive new ordering.

(Reuters - Reporting by Vera Eckert, editing by Miranda Murray)