Maersk's Costs Inflate to US$500 Million a Month, Shipping Costs Could Rise

JAKARTA - Maersk is starting to feel the blow of the Iran war. The Danish shipping giant said the spike in oil prices added operating costs of around US$500 million per month, or around Rp8.68 trillion assuming a rate of Rp17,362 per US dollar.

As reported by Anadolu Agency, Thursday, May 7, Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc told Bloomberg Television that the cost increase mainly came from ship fuel prices and insurance premiums.

"So far we have been able to maintain the performance guidance because our experience shows that we are able to pass on these costs to customers," said Clerc.

Maersk, the world's second-largest container shipping company, said the impact of the Iran war on its first-quarter performance was still "limited". Because the US-Israeli attack began on February 28.

The Copenhagen-based company posted a first-quarter EBITDA of 1.75 billion US dollars, or around Rp30.38 trillion. The figure was above the market expectation of 1.66 billion US dollars, or around Rp28.82 trillion.

Maersk also maintained its 2026 financial guidance and global container market growth projection of 2–4 percent.

However, the pressure is not over. The freight rate has indeed increased since the Iran war broke out. But the increase is not as large as the supply chain disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, bunker fuel prices and insurance premiums have also jumped.

Maersk warned that the outlook for global container demand in 2026 was still "very uncertain". Rising energy prices and trade restrictions in the Gulf region were the main risks. The region accounted for about 6 percent of global container trade in 2025.

Earlier this week, a US-flagged Alliance Fairfax ship belonging to Maersk crossed the Strait of Hormuz with the help of the US military.

When the war began, Maersk had seven of its own or chartered vessels stuck in the Persian Gulf. Clerc said the ships still in the region could remain there until conditions improve.

"They will stay there as long as the situation is not safe," Clerc was quoted as saying by Anadolu. He added, "most of the strait is currently mined."