A.P. Møller-Maersk has announced a major reorganisation of its logistics and forwarding operations as the group grapples with weakening profitability amid falling freight rates and persistent overcapacity in global container shipping.
The overhaul follows a sharp deterioration in earnings at Maersk’s ocean business, which slipped into an operating loss in the final quarter of 2025 despite healthy cargo volumes. The decline underscores the growing pressure on liner operators as supply continues to outstrip demand across key trade lanes.
As part of the restructuring, Maersk will reorganise its Logistics & Services division into more clearly defined segments, separating landside logistics, freight forwarding and specialised supply chain solutions. The move is aimed at improving transparency, sharpening management accountability and enabling tighter cost control within a business that the group sees as central to its long-term strategy.
Maersk has invested heavily over the past several years to transform itself from a container shipping line into a fully integrated logistics provider, offering customers end-to-end supply chain services. However, margins in parts of the logistics and forwarding unit have lagged expectations, prompting the latest reset.
The group has also launched a cost-reduction programme targeting lower corporate overheads, which will include job cuts at headquarters and other administrative functions. Management has stressed that the focus will remain on protecting customer-facing roles and operational capabilities.
Industry conditions remain challenging, with new vessel deliveries adding capacity at a time when freight rates are under sustained pressure. Maersk has warned that earnings in 2026 are likely to remain subdued, even as it continues to prioritise capital discipline and operational efficiency.
Executives said the restructuring is intended to position the logistics and forwarding business for more stable and profitable growth, while reinforcing Maersk’s ambition to be a global integrator of container logistics rather than a pure shipping company.
