The chief executive of Maersk has urged a significant boost in trade infrastructure—ports, trucks, rail—to ease bottlenecks that now drive growth. After announcing a higher full‑year underlying operating‑profit range of $4.5bn‑$6.5bn, the company’s shares jumped 7 % in early trade.

Vincent Clerc said the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz would be a small positive but not material for global container trade. He noted that more volumes are flowing through the Red Sea after years of disruption and that a return to the Suez Canal will have limited earnings impact.

Second‑quarter revenue rose a fifth to $15.8bn and operating profit almost doubled to $1.6bn, far ahead of the $단 expected 700m. Clerc warned that congestion in ports and on land—terminals, rail, trucks, barges—has pushed freight rates and profits up, and that 15 years of under‑investment need a catch‑up cycle.

Maersk’s upgrade follows earlier warnings about overcapacity after the pandemic. The company’s strong results contrast with Hapag‑Lloyd, whose EBIT fell 97 % amid the Strait’s on‑off closure. Global container volumes rose 5 % in the first five months of 2026, driven by intra‑Asia trade and higher Asia‑to‑Europe and North‑America exports.