It is important to wait and see the effects of Donald Trump's return to the White House, said the CEO of Germany's largest container shipping company in an interview with the Reuters news agency on Thursday. The positive reactions of the stock markets to Trump's election could point to slightly more growth in the future. "On the other hand, there is of course this discussion about tariffs, which could of course slow down global trade a little," explained Habben Jansen. But there was also a lot of speculation after Trump's first election. "At that time, it actually had a relatively minor impact on our business."
Hapag-Lloyd is the fifth largest shipping company in the world. Around 80 percent of international trade is handled by shipping. Hapag-Lloyd and other industry giants are therefore regarded as a barometer for global trade and the economy. Following the recent upturn in shipping business at the traditional Hamburg-based group, Habben Jansen is also positive about the rest of 2024. "I also expect a decent last quarter," he said, referring to demand and transport volumes. The latter rose by five percent in the first nine months, and no significant change is expected in the fourth quarter.
(Report by Elke Ahlswede and Vera Eckert. If you have any questions, please contact our editorial team at berlin.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for politics and the economy) or frankfurt.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for companies and markets).)
