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A Maersk Line 40ft container being lifted by a crane.

Key Information

A.P. Møller – Mærsk A/S (Danish: [ˈɛˀ ˈpʰe̝ˀ ˈmølˀɐ ˈmɛɐ̯sk]), usually known simply as Maersk (English: /mɛərsk/ MAIRSK),[3] is a Danish shipping and logistics company founded in 1904 by Arnold Peter Møller and his father Peter Mærsk Møller.

Maersk's business activities include port operation, supply chain management, warehousing and air freight. The company is based in Copenhagen, Denmark, with subsidiaries and offices across 130 countries and over 100,000 employees worldwide in 2024.[2]

It is a publicly traded family business, as the company is controlled by the namesake Møller family through holding companies.[4] The company's 2024 annual revenue was US$55.5 billion.[2]

History

[edit]
Main article: History of Maersk

Dampskibsselskabet Svendborg (Danish for 'Svendborg Steamship Company') was founded in Svendborg in April 1904 by captain Peter Mærsk Møller (1836–1927) and his son Arnold Peter (A. P.) Møller (1876–1965). A. P. Møller had four children, all by his first wife Chastine Estelle Roberta Mc-Kinney. Their second child was (Arnold) Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller (1913–2012), who became a partner in 1939 and head of the firm upon his father's death. In 1993, he was succeeded as CEO by Jess Søderberg. He continued as chairman until December 2003, when he was 90, and Michael Pram Rasmussen took over. Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller was, until his death, one of the "managing owners" of the company and was chairman of Odense Steel Shipyard until 2 May 2006.[5]

A.P. Moller - Maersk announced its strategic choice to separate its oil and gas-related operations from the conglomerate structure and to concentrate only on container logistics in 2016. The majority shareholding in Maersk Tankers was sold to A.P. Moller Holding in 2017. Maersk Oil was sold to TOTAL S.A. in 2018, and Maersk Drilling became a separately listed company in April 2019.[6]

In 2017, the company was one of the main victims of the NotPetya ransom malware attack, which severely disrupted its operation for several months.[7]

In 2021, the company bought 8 carbon-neutral ships for £1bn.[8][9][10]

In August 2021, Maersk joined the BEC Low-Carbon Charter.[11][12]

In September 2023, Maersk unveiled Laura Mærsk, which uses methanol as a fuel.[13] Laura Mærsk is a feeder vessel of 2,100 TEU capacity in service on the Baltic Sea. In June 2023, Maersk also announced an order for six additional mid-sized container vessels of 9,000 TEU capacity.[14]

In November 2023, Maersk signed an agreement with Chinese developer Goldwind.[15] The agreement looks to secure annual volumes of 500KT of fuels including bio-methanol and e-methanol produced utilising wind energy at a new production facility in Hinggan League, Northeast China, around 1000km northeast of Beijing. The first volumes are expected to arrive in 2026.

[edit]
The SS Laura in 1886 in Svendborg, Denmark

The Maersk logo is a white, seven-pointed star on a pale blue background. The logo dates back to 1886 when it was used on Captain P. M. Møller's first steamer, the s.s. LAURA. The story relates to an episode where Captain Møller's wife, Anna, had accompanied him on a sea voyage and fallen seriously ill. The deeply devout Captain Møller prayed for his wife's recovery, and she did recover.

In a letter dated 6 October 1886, he wrote to her: "The little star on the funnel is a reminder of the evening I prayed for you so dejectedly and anxiously, asking for the sign that I might see a star in the grey, overcast sky, a reminder that the Lord hears our prayers."

When The Steamship Company Svendborg was founded in 1904, the seven-pointed star on the pale blue background became its funnel emblem and the company's house flag symbol. When The Steamship Company of 1912 was established, the seven-pointed star was also chosen as their logo.[16]

The white seven-pointed star has been synonymous with Maersk throughout the years, but the logo has undergone some minor changes. The last changes date back to the early 1970s when Maersk enlisted the Danish designer and architect Acton Bjørn to help with a more modern design, which is still used today.[17]

Transport and logistics

[edit]

Maersk

[edit]
Mærsk Kalamata in Seattle harbor
Eleonora Mærsk, one of the E-class vessels
Main article: Maersk Line

The largest operating unit in A. P. Moller–Maersk by revenue and staff (around 25,000 employees in 2012)[18] is Maersk Line. In 2013, the company described itself as the world's largest overseas cargo carrier and operated over 600 vessels with 3.8 million[19] twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) container capacity. As of January 2021, as the largest container fleet, it held 17% of the global TEU.[20]

In 2006, the largest container ship in the world to that date, the E-class vessel Emma Maersk, was delivered to Maersk Line from Odense Steel Shipyard.[21] Since then, seven other sister ships have been built, and on 21 February 2011 Maersk ordered ten even larger container ships from Daewoo, the Triple E class, each with a capacity of 18,000 containers. The first was delivered in 2013.[22] There was an option for 10–20 more,[23][24][25] and in June 2011, Maersk placed a follow-on order for a second batch of ten sister ships (to the same design with the same shipyard), but cancelled its option for a third batch of ten.

As of February 2010, Maersk had an order book for new ships totaling 857000TEU (including options on the Triple E class); that backlog is larger than the existing fleet of the fourth-largest line, Evergreen Line.[26]

Maersk Line cooperated with the United States Navy on testing 7–100% algae biofuel on the Maersk Kalmar in December 2011.[27][28]

In January 2012, Søren Skou took over as CEO of Maersk Line from Eivind Kolding.[29][30] Later that year, the company ceased its business in Iran in order to prevent potential damage to the company's business with Western countries, particularly the US, due to the sanctions regime led by those countries.[31][32]

On 15 March 2022, Robert M. Uggla was appointed Chair of the Board at A.P. Moller – Maersk, succeeding Jim Hagemann Snabe.[33] The appointment marks a generational change in the company. Robert M. Uggla represents the founding family and remains as CEO of A.P. Moller Holding.

On 12 December 2022, Vincent Clerc was appointed CEO of Maersk effective 1 January 2023.[34]

APM Terminals

[edit]
Main article: APM Terminals
APM Terminals at Portsmouth, Virginia, United States

A. P. Moller–Maersk's independent APM Terminals business unit with its separate headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands, operates a Global Port, Terminal and Inland Services Network with interests in 57 ports and container terminals in 36 countries on five continents, as well as 155 Inland Services operations in 48 countries. Port and Terminal Operations include:

  • New projects under construction: Savona, and Tema.

Maersk Container Industry

[edit]
Svitzer Bootle assisting Mærsk Newcastle on the River Thames

Maersk Container Industry A/S: Container manufacturing with factories in China (Dongguan and Qingdao) and headquarters in Denmark (Tinglev).[5]

Container Inland Services: Includes depots, equipment repair, trucking, container sales and related activity.[5]

Svitzer

[edit]

Svitzer was founded as a salvage client in 1833 before entering the towing business in 1870. Svitzer became majority owned by Maersk in 1979.[35][36] Svitzer has continued to grow, including through purchasing the tugboat operations of Adsteam,[37] and it now has a fleet of over 400 tugs, line handlers and other vessels. The company provides harbour and terminal towage services in over 100 ports and 20 oil and gas terminals across the globe.[38] In January 2022, Svitzer operated a fleet of 110 vessels in seven ports and 11 terminals across 12 countries in Svitzer operates in the Africa, Middle East & Asia regions.[39][40]

In February 2024, Maersk's Board of Directors demerged APMM's Svitzer's towage and marine services operations.[41] APMM transferred shares of Svitzer A/S and its subsidiaries, along with related assets and liabilities, to a newly created entity named Svitzer Group A/S. The shares of Svitzer Group were subsequently listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen A/S.

The distribution of Svitzer Group shares to APMM shareholders was agreed at an exceptional general meeting. As a result, APMM's shareholders received shares in Svitzer Group in addition to their existing APMM holdings. Trading of Svitzer Group shares on Nasdaq Copenhagen began on 30 April 2024.[42]

Damco

[edit]

Damco was the combined brand of the Maersk Group's logistics activities, previously known as Maersk Logistics and Damco.[43] As of 2008, Damco had 10,800 employees in offices in more than 93 countries.[43] and was involved in supply chain management and freight forwarding all over the world. In September 2019, Maersk announced that they would dissolve the Damco brand and integrate their remaining activities after initially merging Maersk Line and Damco at the beginning of 2019, when the freight forwarding business of Damco stayed separate.[44] The dissolving of the Damco brand was completed by the end of 2020.[45]

[edit]

In the 2024 financial year, Maersk generated revenue of €55.5 billion. During the same financial year, 108,160 employees worked for the group.

Year Revenue
in million € 		Net income
in million € 		Total assets
in million € 		Employees[46]
2015[47] 30,769 791 62,408
2016[47] 27,646 (1,939) 61,118
2017[47] 31,189 (1,205) 63,227
2018[47] 39,257 2,985 62,690
2019[47] 38,890 (84) 55,399 80,000
2020[48] 39,740 2,960 56,117 80,000
2021[48] 61,787 18,170 72,271 95,000
2022[48] 81,529 29,703 93,680 110,000
2023[48] 51,065 3,954 82,578 100,000
2024[48] 55,482 6,095 87,697 108,160

Spun-off energy companies

[edit]

Maersk Oil

[edit]
Main article: Maersk Oil

Maersk Oil (Danish: Mærsk Olie og Gas A/S) was established in 1962[49] when Maersk was awarded a concession for oil and gas exploration and production in the Danish sector of the North Sea. Maersk Oil is engaged in exploring and producing oil and gas in many parts of the world. Total oil production is more than 600,000 barrels per day (95,000 m³/d) and gas production is up to some 1 billion cubic feet (28,000,000 m³) per day. Most of this production is from the North Sea, from both the Danish and British sectors, but there is also production in offshore Qatar, Algeria and Kazakhstan.

In addition to the above-mentioned producing sites, Maersk Oil is involved in exploration activities in Danish, British, Dutch and Norwegian sectors of the North Sea, Qatar, Algeria, Kazakhstan, Angola, Gulf of Mexico (US sector), Turkmenistan, Oman, Morocco, Brazil, Colombia and Suriname. Most of these activities are not 100% owned but are via membership in a consortium. The company developed production techniques for complex environments (The North Sea, etc.) and drilling techniques that extract oil from problematic underground conditions.

Oil and gas activities provided A .P. Moller–Maersk with 22% of its revenue and 68% of its profit in 2008.[43] On 21 August 2017, A. P. Møller - Mærsk A/S announced the signing of an agreement to sell Mærsk Olie og Gas A/S to Total S.A. for US$7.45  billion in a combined share and debt transaction.[50] The transaction was subject to regulatory and competition approval and was closed on 8 March 2018,[51] when Maersk Oil became a part of Total.

Maersk Drilling

[edit]
Main article: Maersk Drilling

Maersk Drilling supports global oil and gas production by providing high-efficiency drilling services to oil companies worldwide.[52] The company owns 24 rigs and its fleet consists of six Ultra-Harsh jack-ups, four XL Enhanced jack-ups (including one new build which is set for delivery in late 2016), four Harsh jack-ups, two Premium jack-up, four semi-submersibles and four Ultra deepwater drillships.[52] Maersk Drilling is, among others, a market leader in the Norwegian jack-up market with a market share of 7 out of 12 rigs As of 2016. Maersk Drilling merged with Noble Corporation in 2022, the transaction was completed on 3 October.[53]

Maersk Supply Service

[edit]
Offshore platform supply vessel (PSV AHTS), Maersk Dispatcher, entering the Narrows at St. John's Harbor, Newfoundland, Canada

Maersk Supply Service provides anchor handling, towage of drilling rigs and platforms, and supply service to the offshore industry. By 2021, the fleet consisted of 41 vessels, including anchor handling tug supply vessels (AHTS), subsea support vessels (SSV) and platform supply vessels (PSV).[54]

In July 2024, it was announced that Norway's DOF Group would acquire Maersk Supply Service for approximately $1.1 billion to consolidate its offshore service sector further, focusing on the oil and gas sector.[55]

Maersk Integration

[edit]

Maersk Line, Limited

[edit]

Maersk Line, Limited (MLL) is a US-based subsidiary of A.P. Moller–Maersk Group, which owns and operates a fleet of US-flag vessels providing the U.S. Federal Government and their contractors with multimodal transportation and logistics services. A Virginia-based organization, MLL manages the world's largest fleet of internationally traded US-flagged vessels.

Maersk Line paid $31.9 million in fines to the U.S. in 2012, following a US Department of Justice investigation contending that Maersk had "knowingly overcharged the Department of Defense to transport thousands of containers from ports to inland delivery destinations in Iraq and Afghanistan" while under government contract to transport cargo via container ships in support of U.S. troops.[56]

The Red Sea crisis had a significant impact on shipping, from November 2023 onward; in May 2024, Maersk estimated the impact as a capacity loss of 15–20 percent across the merchant shipping industry, based on its FY second quarter.[57]

ex MCC transport

[edit]

MCC Transport hosts containerized cargo services in the intra-Asia market. The company was later renamed Sealand-Asia.

Safmarine Nokwanda

ex Seago Line

[edit]

Seago Line is a subsidiary shipping line which serves ports in the Mediterranean region.[58] The company is now Sealand- Europe and Mediterranean.

ex Safmarine

[edit]

Safmarine is an independently operated shipping company in the A. P. Moller–Maersk Group with roots in Africa. It operates a fleet of over 40 container vessels and 20 multi-purpose vessels (MPVs).[59] The company has five container vessels and four MPVs on order for delivery in 2009–2011.[needs update][60] In September 2020, it was announced that the Safmarine brand would be integrated into Maersk.[61]

ex Sealand

[edit]

SeaLand, branded "Sealand – A Maersk Company", is an American regional maritime and logistics operator. It has been part of A. P. Moller - Maersk since 1999.[62][63][64] The Sealand name was phased out in 2009,[65] but revived as a separate brand in 2014.[66] After focussing on intermodal services between North, Central and South America, in 2018 it was merged with other Maersk intra-regional brands MCC Transport and Seago Lines to cover European, Mediterranean, and Intra-Asian markets.[67][68]

In 2023 it was decided to unify the Maersk brands and integrate the Sealand brand into Maersk. Over the course of 2023 all Sealand business was integrated with Maersk, and in December 2023 the Sealand brand ceased to exist.[69]

Maersk Global Service Center

[edit]

Maersk GSC operates shared service centres that handle back office and off-shore activities for AP Moller Maersk Group. GSCs are in Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Chengdu, and Metro Manila, with new GSCs to be opened in Mexico and Brazil to support Americas customers. In August of 2025, Maersk inaugurated a new shared service centre in Warsaw, Poland, to support its European customers.[70]

Tankers, offshore and other shipping activities

[edit]

Tankers, offshore and other shipping activities" accounted for 8.8% of Maersk's revenue in 2008 and posted 25% of the group's profit for this period. The business segment comprises Maersk Tankers (its technical management business sold to Synergy Marine Group in 2021),[71] Maersk Supply Service, Maersk Drilling, Maersk FPSOs, Maersk LNG and Svitzer.[43]

South American ex Aliança

[edit]
Aliança

Brazilian coaster container ship subsidiary with eight ships.[72][73]

Ardent

[edit]

Ardent Salvage, a joint-operating salvage company formed after the merger between Maersk-operated Svitzer and Crowley-operated TITAN Salvage, is involved in towage, salvage, wreck removal, marine firefighting and other offshore support and is represented in more than 100 ports worldwide. Ardent is based in Houston, Texas.[74]

Bust in Copenhagen

KGH

[edit]

Acquired in 2020, KGH is a European customs and trade solutions provider, including customs broker services and software application development. The KGH brand is now migrated into Maersk Customs Services.

Retail activity

[edit]
Main article: Dansk Supermarked A/S

The company formerly owned a stake in Dansk Supermarked Group which operates stores under the brands: Bilka (hypermarket), Føtex (supermarket, department store), Salling (department store) and Netto (discount supermarket).[43]

Maersk Training

[edit]

Maersk Training provides specialist training to specific industries. The 2010 merger of Maersk Training Centre and Svitzer Safety Services broadened a portfolio of courses to include the maritime, oil and gas terminals, and wind power industries.

With Headquarters in Svendborg, the MT Group global locations include Aberdeen and Newcastle in the UK, Esbjerg in Denmark, Stavanger in Norway, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Chennai & Mumbai in India, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.[75] New centres include Houston, United States and Dubai, United Arab Emirates which is also the Middle Eastern hub.

In October 2023, Maersk Training bought the Norwegian company ResQ, a supplier of safety training and emergency preparedness.[76]

Star Air

[edit]

Star Air operated 11 leased Boeing 767 cargo aircraft, primarily engaged in long-term contract flying for United Parcel Service (UPS) in Europe.[43] The Maersk corporate aircraft, a Gulfstream 450, was also operated by Star Air. In August 2022, Star Air became part of Maersk Air Cargo.[77]

In 2023 Maersk announced the inaugural flight of a new air freight service with scheduled flights between Billund, Denmark (BLL) and Hangzhou, China (HGH) - the first scheduled air cargo operation between Denmark and Asia.[78] The Eurasia operation began 20 March with three weekly flights on the first of three newly converted Boeing 767-300 freighters that were recently added to the fleet of Maersk Air Cargo.

In July 2024,[79] Maersk took delivery of the first of two new Boeing 777F aircraft, which it will operate on its route from Billund to Hangzhou.

European Rail Shuttle B.V.

[edit]
Main article: European Rail Shuttle B.V.

In August 2013, Freightliner Group announced the acquisition of a leading European intermodal rail operator and railway undertaking, ERS Railways B.V., from Maersk Line. ERS Railways B.V. is a railway transport company headquartered in Rotterdam that provides cargo transport, mostly ISO shipping containers.

World Robot Olympiad

[edit]
Main article: World Robot Olympiad

World Robot Olympiad is a robotic competition headquartered in Singapore. Maersk Oil is currently a Gold sponsor of this event.

Maersk and Danish climate targets

[edit]

A.P. Møller-Maersk company accounts for over 80% of the Danish top 30 companies' emissions of carbon dioxide from operations. Mærsk has increased emissions by 2% since 2019, with a total of 37 million tonnes in 2021. The company presented plans to be CO2 neutral by 2040.[80]

Since the Danish climate targets of a 70 per cent CO2 reduction in 2030 are territorial based, emissions from foreign shipping and aviation from Danish ports and airports, and internationally, are not counted, as the responsibility lies with the UN's organizations for aviation (ICAO) and shipping (IMO). However, IMO has committed to halving the industry's greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050, and because 80% of global trade (around 11 billion tonnes) is transported by sea each year, global shipping generated about 1,000 million tonnes (3%) of carbon dioxide emissions in 2018.[81] From territorial based point of view, the Maersk fleet is not obliged to make reductions,[82] but instead pay through slightly higher taxes from the emissions to a fund based on taxes from the fleets use of bunker fuel, which will be able to compensate and finance climate measures, a concept developed by the Ministry of Climate and the Danish Maritime Authority.[83][84][85]

In 2008, it was calculated by the DK Group that the Maersk fleet together released just over one million tonnes of sulfur dioxide SO2 per year from the fleets use of bunker fuel, and at the time until 2014, when China Shipping Lanes took over by one meter and 20 percent less fuel emissions,[86] the world's largest container ship Emma Mærsk emits SO2 equivalent to 50 million cars.[87]

"These are figures that are publicly available. But they have probably not really come to light because shipping has been totally unregulated. But when the biggest ships sail out, you have to imagine that 50 million cars will follow," says Jørn Winkler, founder of DK Group. For example, there are filters that remove virtually all sulfur dioxide and nitrogen, but the price of a filter for a large container ship is DKK 25 million. By comparison, Maersk uses approximately DKK 46 billion worth of fuel per year (expenses deducted as a cost in company tax calculations), and "In the past 20 years, it has been possible to remove the particles from the ships' exhaust fumes, but the will to do something is lacking," says Jørn Winkler in 2008.[87]

The Danish Ministry of the Environment has in 2009 initiated an action plan, where the requirement is that SOx and NOx must be reduced using desulfurization plants, the so-called scrubbers, to build into the ships' chimney systems,[88] where the smoke gets showered to benefit the air, but researchers at the Department of Aquatic Resources, DTU Aqua, find that this pollution, by a lot of heavy metals and tar substances, so-called polycyclic hydrocarbons (PAHs),[89] are moved from the fuel into the sea instead, and thereby also poses a danger to the marine environment, as heavy metals do not break down and are taken up by plankton, from where they travel further up through the food chain - right up to fish.[90] Environmentalist organizations however believe that the shipping companies have installed scrubbers on their ships so that they can continue to sail on cheap heavy bunker oil, which contains many environmentally harmful substances.[90]

In 2023, Maersk became the first in the shipping industry to have its 2030 and 2040 targets[91] validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in alignment with a 1.5°C and net zero pathway under SBTi's new maritime industry guidance.[92] These new targets include specific sub-targets for scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions and will replace previous targets announced in early 2022.

Maersk and tonnage taxation

[edit]

Denmark is the world's 11th largest flag state based on gross tonnage (the indication of a ship's size, ed.) in 2022, and the shipping companies account for approximately one-fifth of Denmark's total exports. According to the industry association Danish shipping, the latest figure for Danish-flagged ships is 779 ships with a total tonnage of 23.24 million gross registered tonnes,[93] out of more than 50,000 merchant ships that trade internationally, under the flags of 150 nations.[81]

Shipping companies in Denmark have a unique tax scheme – tonnage tax, which has been in force since 2001 to keep the shipping companies on Danish soil. Tonnage tax means that shipping companies pay a fixed tax or charge per ship, and the amount is thus not affected by the company's profit. With the tonnage tax, the shipping companies avoid the classic corporation tax of 22 per cent, which other companies must pay. On top of that, Maersk receives an unknown amount of state aid through the so-called DIS scheme, which allows the shipping company to pay tax-free salary to the crews,[94] and thereby the tax saved then accrues to the shipping companies as state aid in the form of lower labor costs, which for the four years 2017–2020 are calculated at DKK 925, 925, 1,050 and 1,100 million respectively.[93]

The tax scheme means that in 2021, Maersk should pay around 4% of a record-breaking earnings of about 16,08 billion USD (117.5 billion Danish kroner) before tax,[95] but in reality paid 100.66 million US$ (697 million DKK) or 0.6 percent in tax to Denmark in 2021, according to the company's annual accounts,[96][97] and much lower than the shipping company itself states in its published tax returns. The profit was expected to be DKK 270 billion in 2022,[98][99] but ended to be 203 billion DKK in profit, and thought to pay the equivalent of three percent in tax (6.09 billion DDK),[100] but in reality by Maersk tax statement for 2022, the tax payment in Denmark is calculated at 0.7 percent, but according to finance calculations, it suggests that the real share that ends up in the Danish treasury, will be less than 0.2 percent, according to Berlingske.[101] But DKK 80 billion is calculated on its way to the shareholders of Maersk, where 45.23 percent is owned by 82,000 different shareholders in Denmark and abroad.[97]

This compared to a deficit of DKK 3 billion in the company's accounts for the first half of 2009. – The first deficit in the group's history since World War II,[102] with an expected deficit for the whole of 2009 of DKK 10.7 billion.[103][104]

To keep this lucrative taxation scheme, compared to classic corporation tax, Maersk has met with the Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Maritime Authority and worked against a global minimum tax for the shipping industry with success,[105] as their lobby meetings helped to exempt shipping from a global tax agreement, as a major deal on minimum tax was adopted by 135 countries under the OECD in 2021, which must ensure that international companies pay more in tax and minimum 15 percent, but precisely the shipping industry was exempted from the agreement. These meetings happened even though Maersk said publicly that they were open to paying more taxes if it happened through a global agreement. A strategy defended by the Social Democratic Minister for Taxation in 2023, 'Nothing abnormal' in that they have opposed global minimum tax.[106]

To supply the Danish and international shipping companies, Denmark, even of its very small size of 43.094 km2 and a population of 5,932,654 in 2023, that by World Happiness Report in 2022 was voted as the world's second happiest population,[107] and has been voted the world's happiest country several times due to coziness or "hygge",[107] is also home country for several of the world's top 10 largest suppliers of bunker fuel and other ship and aircraft fuels,[108][109] like the earlier OW Bunker, founded in 1980, was a marine fuel (bunker) company based at Nørresundby, near Aalborg in northern Denmark, that was the world's largest bunker supplier until its collapse on 7 November 2014.[110][111] A lead now controlled by the Danish group Dan-Bunkering's owner company Bunker Holding, also known as Bunker Holding Group, and represented in 33 countries, is by 2022 the world's leading supplier and retailer of ship fuels, specializing since 1981 in the purchase, sale and delivery of fuel and lubricating oil for ships.[112] On 14 December 2021, it was convicted for violation of EU sanctions against supplies to Syria, to protect the civilian population from attacks by bombers, when the Danish billion worth company, via agreements through its branch office in Kaliningrad in Russia with two Russian companies, Joint Stock Company Sovfracht and Maritime Assistance LLC, who were agents for the Russian Navy, and at several occasions from higher levels was informed of there violation, delivered jet fuel under cover of darkness, transshipped from one ship to another on the high seas, for use by the Russian military, a regular supplier for more than 30 years,[113] to use in the petrol tanks of Russian fighter aircraft that have been air raid bombing Syria on behalf of Bashar al-Assad,[114] with a fine of DKK 30 million for having sold 172,000 tonnes of jet fuel through 33 deals worth around DKK 648 million, and confiscation of the profit of around DKK 15 million and fined DKK four million, as well as a conditional discharge of four months in prison for the managing director of Bunker Holding, for having acted negligently, but not intentionally,[115] as Dan-Bunkering's owner company Bunker Holding was found guilty of participating in eight of the transactions, it was fined DKK four million, a sentence not appealed against by Dan-Bunkering and Bunker Holding,[116] "has the full confidence of the board and the owners",[117] nor by the State Attorney for Special Economic and International Crime (SØIK), that didn't find reasons to appeal to increase the sentence, even a demand for two years' imprisonment and specified "the fuel has gone to Russian fighter jets, which on behalf of Assad have bombed Syria with the help of a total of 172,000 tons of jet fuel sold from the company headquarters in Middelfart via the two Russian companies in the period 2015 to 2017, and the EU introduced sanctions against Syria in 2014",[114][118][119] expanded its lead as the world's largest bunker oil supplier in 2020, shows a report from the research house Seacred and the media Ship & Bunker, a location Bunker Holding, owned by United Shipping & Trading Company (USTC),[120] has expanded from 2020, if measured in terms of volumes, which is particularly connected with Bunker Holding's purchase of Oceanconnect Marine, which is today merged with Bunker Holding's subsidiary KPI Bridge Oil. In addition, the subsidiary Bunker One is responsible for the physical delivery of marine fuel throughout the world, and is actively engaged in a number of green projects with, among other things, ammonia and methanol as ship fuel based on electricity from windmills (wind turbines) and PV solar cells.[112]

Piracy

[edit]
Maersk Alabama as seen from a P-3C Orion Aircraft during its 2009 hijacking.
Main article: Maersk Alabama hijacking

On the morning of 8 April 2009, the 17,000-ton Maersk Alabama was en route to Mombasa, Kenya, when it was hijacked by pirates off the Somali coast. The company confirmed that the US-flagged vessel had 20 US nationals on board. This was the first time that the US had to deal with a situation in which Americans were aboard a ship seized by pirates in over 200 years. By noon, the Americans could resist the pirates and regain control of the boat. However, the pirates retreated on a covered lifeboat and held the captain hostage for four days. On 12 April 2009, it was confirmed that the captain held hostage was freed by the US Navy, whose SEAL sharpshooters killed three of the pirates. A fourth pirate surrendered earlier due to a medical injury. These events were subsequently dramatized in the 2013 film Captain Phillips, directed by Paul Greengrass, starring Tom Hanks in the titular role.

Maersk Line estimated that piracy costs the company $100 million per year due to longer routes and higher speed, particularly near East Africa.[121]

As of 2010, all 83 Maersk tankers were diverting around the Cape of Good Hope south of Africa instead of going through the Suez Canal,[122] although Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller, the first of the Triple E-class vessels, successfully navigated the Suez during her maiden voyage.

Criticism

[edit]

Labor practices in El Salvador and China

[edit]

Trade unions and labor rights organizations have criticized Maersk's labor practices in different parts of the world.

In El Salvador, Maersk has been accused of maintaining abusive conditions for port drivers. Charges include excessively long shifts, minimal wages and the repression of freedom of association by running union-busting campaigns, including firing and blacklisting at least 100 drivers in 2001.[123][124]

Globalization Monitor, a labor rights group based in Hong Kong, has reported poor labor conditions in Maersk facilities in Dongguan and Qingdao, China. In January and May 2008, two riots reportedly broke out amongst workers at the Maersk plant in Dongguan in protest of poor working conditions and employment terms. In April 2011, Globalization Monitor stated, "Maersk's plants in China are still far from satisfactory as long as labor and human rights are concerned."[125]

Overcharging allegations of US Government in Iraq and Afghanistan

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In response to a complaint from whistleblower Jerry H. Brown II, the US Government filed suit against Maersk for overcharging for shipments to US forces fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. In a settlement announced on 3 January 2012, the company agreed to pay $31.9 million in fines and interest but made no admission of wrongdoing. Brown was entitled to $3.6 million of the settlement.[126]

Violation of embargo on Sudan

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In August 2010, the US government fined Maersk $3.1 million for violating its embargo on Sudan. "Maersk had a waiver from the US government to deliver US Food Aid into Sudan, so the US-flagged ship was in Port Sudan to deliver humanitarian aid," a U.S. government spokesman said, but "the booking systems did not identify cargo that was coming on and off the ship, and that could be of violation of the embargo". The US government imposed a trade embargo on Sudan in 1997 due to human rights violations linked to the civil war between the north and south of the African country and also because of the regime's alleged support of international terrorist groups.[127]

Business with Iran

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In July 2010, the advocacy group initially highlighted Maersk's ties to a blacklisted Iranian company, Tidewater Middle East Co. The firm suspended operations at several Iranian ports owned by Tidewater Middle East Co. Maersk operates in other Bangladeshi ports and also diverted shipments to Dubai, partnering with other Bangladeshi companies that are not bound by U.S. sanctions.[128][129]

On 28 April 2015, the Marshall Islands-flagged container ship Maersk Tigris, which was not owned by Maersk,[130] was travelling westbound through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Revolutionary Guard naval patrol boats contacted the ship and directed it to proceed into Iranian territorial waters, according to a spokesman for the US Defense Department. When the ship's master declined, one of the Iranian craft fired shots across the bridge of Maersk Tigris. The master complied and proceeded into Iranian waters near Larak Island. The US Navy sent aircraft and a destroyer, USS Farragut, to monitor the situation.[131]

Maersk stated they have agreed to pay an Iranian company $163,000 over a dispute about ten container boxes transported to Dubai in 2005. The court ruling allegedly ordered a fine of $3.6 million.[132]

Regulation violations and contract fraud

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In October 2010, Maersk plead guilty to 8 counts of failing to provide adequate hours of rest and 1 count of failing to improve the situation.[133][134]

In February 2014, Maersk paid 8.7 million to settle allegations that Maersk had forged documents on a contract to ship cargo to Afghanistan. The government says they uncovered 277 instances "in which claims verifying receipt of shipments in Afghanistan contained forged signatures." The settlement included no admission of guilt.[135]

Sexual harassment suspensions and lawsuits

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In May 2021, a Maersk officer's license was suspended after he was accused of sexual assault, including abusive, unwanted, and inappropriate touching in violation of Maersk's anti-harassment policy.[136] On 12 October 2021, Maersk suspended five employees for their involvement in the rape of a 19-year-old girl.[137][138]

In June 2022, Hope Hicks, formerly known as "Midshipman X" filed a lawsuit against Maersk, alleging that the company failed to protect her from rampant sexual abuse.[139] In the same month, a second US Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) student under the alias "Midshipman Y" filed a suit against Maersk, also alleging that the company did not protect her from sexual abuse and violence.[140]

Pollution from fuels

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In 2009, it was estimated that the Maersk fleet's use of bunker fuel released sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, into the atmosphere corresponding to the emissions from 9 billion cars, with resultant serious health, environmental, and climate change impacts related.[88][141][142]

One of the health problems with nitrogen oxides, in particular, is, that an ethnically diverse cohort of 161,808 postmenopausal women, participated in a study published in 2023, found nitrogen oxides to be a major contributor to the bone deterioration in postmenopausal women, where one in two women over 50 years experiencing a bone fracture, and the lumbar spine is one of the most susceptible sites of damage from it, and is found twice as destructive as normal ageing, with effects believed to happen through bone cell death by oxidative stress and other mechanisms.[143][144]

For example, lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) decreased 0.026 g/cm2/year per a 10% increase in 3-year mean NO2 concentration, or the amount to 1.22 per cent annual reductions, nearly double the annual effects of age on any of the anatomical sites evaluated.[143]

The health problem with bunker fuel (heavy fuel oil), a type of oil used in 80 per cent of the world's merchant ships in 2008, with a total consumption of 290 million tons per year is, that it has a very high sulfur content followed by sulfur dioxide, which smokes directly from the chimney, after which it spreads and can make people sick or even be lethal," says Jørgen Brandt, who is a senior researcher at the Department of Atmospheric Environment at Aarhus University. Mærsk is aware of the extent of the problem. Ivan Seistrup, group vice-president in A.P. Møller Mærsk, stated in 2009: "Among other things, we have entered into close cooperation with Boeing on the development of biofuel for the shipping industry, which will constitute a technological quantum leap. One solution could be to sail on clean biofuel in coastal areas, and then use bunker fuel in the open sea, where it does no harm."[88][141]

The two most common types of biofuel are bioethanol and biodiesel. However, scientists and research of Norwegian Vestlandsforskning have found that biodiesel can increase the risk of cancer, caused by two molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), which is formed from fossil diesel, and fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), formed from biodiesel, and also show an ecotoxicological profile of both urban and rural air pollution.[145][146][147][148]

Contravention of Maritime Organisation's SOLAS Convention and cloaking

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In August 2024, the South African Govnernment was alerted to two Maersk chartered ships (Campton and Candor) carrying approximately 816 total metric tonnes on board the two ships in 100 short containers of toxic steel furnace dust collected from pollution control filters. The containers were collected from Albania to be delivered to Thailand, passing around the south of Africa on route.[149] The containers in question that potentially could contain mis-declared/hazardous waste cargo were picked up by Maersk (on behalf of MSC) in Trieste and were to be unloaded in Singapore.[150]

The Basel Action Network (BAN) alerted the South African government to the fact that the Automatic Identification System (AIS) GPS beacon of the Maersk Campton was switched off on 31 July 2024 in contravention of the Maritime Organisation's SOLAS Convention and failed to make its scheduled docking in Cape Town. The practice, known as cloaking, can be used for illegitimate purposes, e.g. to hide the location of a ship in cases where illegal dumping of waste takes place. Cloaking however is also used for legitimate reasons such as security concerns, e.g. to protect vessels in transit near the Red Sea from being targeted by terrorist groups.[151] The containers are currently being repatriated from Singapore to Albania by MSC on their ship Maria Saveria.[152]

Business with Israel

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Main article: Mask Off Maersk

Since 2024, Maersk has faced criticism and pressure from an international campaign by the Palestinian Youth Movement and its allies to end its role in transporting military cargo and goods to Israel, including to Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.[153][154][155] In November 2024, Maersk container ship Denver was denied entry to the Spanish port of Algeciras, due to allegations that the ship was carrying arms supplies to Israel.[156]

On 24 February 2025, Maersk's headquarters in Copenhagen was the target of a mass protest action by activists over the transportation of U.S. government military equipment in relation to the Gaza war. Police cleared the protestors using batons and tear gas after they refused to leave after repeated requests, resulting in the arrest of 22 people. Greta Thunberg was among those arrested.[157][158]

On 25 April 2025, dockworkers in Tangier, Algeria refused to load F-35 parts onto a Maersk ship bound for Israel,[159] following days of protests that attracted about 1,500 people.[160] In June, a statement on the Maersk website said, "Following a recent review of transports related to the West Bank, we further strengthened our screening procedures in relation to Israeli settlements, including aligning our screening process with the OHCHR database of enterprises involved in activities in the settlements."[161] Maersk became the first logistics company to divest from the transportation of settlement goods, but continues to ship military cargo, including F-35 parts, to the Israeli Ministry of Defense as of 10 July 2025.[162]

NotPetya malware attack

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On 27 June 2017, Maersk IT systems were the victim of a malware attack utilizing NotPetya, which was designed to appear to be a ransomware attack.[163] The cyberattack was perpetrated by the Russian military cyberorganization, the GRU, and designed to attack Ukraine, but in fact almost destroyed Maersk Shipping. Wired magazine described the malware attack as the 'Most Devastating Cyberattack in History.'[164] In March 2020 Maersk revealed they would be terminating the employment and outsourcing the work of the UK based IT team that helped them successfully fend off and recover from the ransomware attack that shut down operations,[165] as Maersk was forced to rebuild its IT infrastructure in 10 days and sustained losses of more than US$300 million to put on its tax relief as expenses.[81]

See also

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Maersk

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A.P. Møller – Mærsk A/S, commonly known as Maersk, is a Danish primarily engaged in shipping and integrated logistics services, founded in 1904 by and his father, . Headquartered in , the company operates a fleet of over 700 vessels with a total capacity surpassing 4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), facilitating global trade across more than 130 countries. As the second-largest shipping operator worldwide, Maersk commands approximately 14 percent of the global , underscoring its pivotal role in international supply chains. Maersk provides end-to-end logistics solutions, encompassing ocean freight, port terminals, inland transportation, and through subsidiaries like and . Employing around 100,000 people, it manages 54 terminals in 29 countries and has expanded into digital platforms for tracking and optimizing cargo flows. The company's growth reflects innovations in vessel efficiency, including the deployment of mega-ships capable of carrying up to 24,000 TEU, which have transformed in . Notable achievements include early adoption of containerization in the 1960s and recent commitments to decarbonization, such as ordering dual-fuel vessels powered by green methanol and targeting net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040—the first major shipping firm to set such validated science-based goals. Maersk has faced operational challenges from geopolitical tensions, including pirate attacks exemplified by the 2009 hijacking of the Maersk Alabama and ongoing disruptions from Houthi missile strikes in the Red Sea since 2023, prompting route diversions around Africa that increased transit times and costs. These events highlight the vulnerabilities in global shipping to non-state actors and regional conflicts, independent of institutional narratives.

History

Founding and Early Expansion (1904–1960s)

A.P. Møller established the (Aktieselskabet Dampskibsselskabet Svendborg) on 16 April 1904 in , Denmark, with support from his father, , a veteran sailor who had earlier founded the in 1886 to transition from sailing vessels to steam-powered ships. The new venture began operations in tramp shipping with three initial vessels, emphasizing efficient steamship management amid the era's industrial advancements in . This founding reflected A.P. Møller's vision for operational independence and adaptability, drawing on his father's experience in recognizing the superiority of over . By 1912, the company had expanded sufficiently to form the Steamship Company of 1912, enabling greater autonomy in and accelerating vessel acquisitions. From 1913 to 1940, diversification included establishing a brokerage arm in 1913, launching the in 1918 for in-house construction, entering liner shipping, and initiating tanker operations in 1928 with the first route connecting the , , and the . Further ventures encompassed a plantation acquisition in 1930, underscoring a strategy of and risk distribution across trades. The fleet reached 46 ships by 1940, but severely impacted operations: 36 vessels were requisitioned by Allied forces, 25 were lost, and 150 seafarers perished. Post-war recovery began with a reduced fleet of 21 ships in 1945, achieving pre-war tonnage levels by 1948 through aggressive rebuilding and new constructions. In the 1950s and 1960s, expansion focused on crude oil transportation via Maersk Tankers and extended liner routes to Southeast Asia, including ports in China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, India, and the Persian Gulf. A.P. Møller formalized long-term stability by creating the A.P. Moller Foundation in 1953 to maintain family control and reinvest profits into societal benefits, aligning with principles of "constant care" in operations. This period solidified Maersk's position as Denmark's leading shipping entity through resilient fleet renewal and strategic trade diversification.

Container Shipping Revolution and Global Scaling (1970s–1990s)

In 1973, A.P. Møller-Mærsk decided to invest in cellular ships, , and related to maintain competitiveness on its USA-Asia service amid rising customer demand for faster, more reliable transport. This marked a pivotal shift from traditional breakbulk and tanker operations toward standardized , which reduced loading times, minimized damage, and lowered costs through . The company's first purpose-built vessel, Mærsk, joined the fleet in 1974 with a capacity of 1,800 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), emphasizing speed with . On September 5, 1975, Maersk launched its inaugural fully containerized service when Adrian Mærsk departed from Port Elizabeth on the East Coast, carrying 385 to , initiating dedicated routes that leveraged cellular holds for secure stacking. Throughout the , Maersk expanded its container fleet and technological infrastructure to capitalize on annual global container shipping growth of approximately 20 percent, as most conventional liner services transitioned to by 1985. Key enablers included the 1975 rollout of MaerskNet, an early private global communication network for real-time coordination, and the 1983 introduction of the Maersk Communication System (MCS), one of the first email-like platforms for inter-office messaging, which facilitated operational efficiency across growing routes. By ordering larger vessels, such as those exceeding 3,000 TEU in line with industry trends, Maersk scaled its services to major trade lanes, including trans-Pacific and intra-Asia, while integrating control systems to optimize inventory and reduce pilferage. The 1990s saw accelerated global scaling, with Maersk's office network expanding from 40 countries in 1990 to over 100 by 2000, adding an average of six new markets annually, driven by post-Cold War trade liberalization following the 1989 . This period aligned with surging volumes, enabling Maersk to deploy increasingly larger ships—such as the 6,400 TEU Regina Mærsk in 1996—on high-volume corridors, which boosted and through hub-and-spoke models at strategic ports. Containerization's proved causal to this expansion, as it commoditized cargo handling, lowered barriers for just-in-time supply chains, and supported Maersk's transition into a dominant transnational operator by decade's end.

Diversification into Energy and Logistics (2000s–2010s)

In the 2000s, A.P. Møller-Mærsk accelerated diversification into upstream oil and gas via Maersk Oil, shifting from a North Sea focus to international exploration amid sustained high crude prices averaging over $50 per barrel from 2004 to 2008. The company secured a production-sharing contract in Algeria's Berkine Basin in 2000, marking its first major venture outside Denmark and the UK, followed by entry into Brazil's pre-salt Campos Basin in 2005 through farm-in agreements for deepwater blocks. By mid-decade, Maersk Oil targeted West Africa for new acreage, aiming to build reserves in high-potential regions like Angola and Nigeria, with exploratory drilling commencing around 2006. This expansion yielded tangible results, as Maersk Oil's production grew to approximately 300,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2010, supported by acquisitions such as the Jack and St. Malo fields in the US finalized that year for $340 million. The energy segment's profitability surged during the period, contributing disproportionately to group earnings—by 2009, despite a 36% drop in average oil prices from the prior year, production volumes held steady at prior levels, underscoring the strategic value of diversified reserves. Concurrently, Maersk broadened its logistics footprint to complement core container shipping, establishing in 2001 as a dedicated global port operator and pursuing aggressive terminal concessions and expansions. By 2004, managed operations across multiple continents, with container throughput reaching 34 million TEUs annually and 26 new or upgraded facilities in development, including key wins in (Pipavav) and (Apapa, concessioned in 2006). This infrastructure buildout enhanced end-to-end control, facilitating seamless integration of ocean transport with inland distribution. In logistics services, Maersk restructured its forwarding and supply chain units under Damco, integrating Dutch forwarder Damco Sea & Air with Maersk Logistics effective July 2007 to form a unified platform for air, sea, and overland freight. By September 2009, further consolidation merged Maersk Logistics, Maersk Customs Services, and Damco into a single entity, expanding capabilities in contract logistics and aiming for integrated solutions beyond mere transport. These moves positioned Maersk as an end-to-end provider, with Damco handling over 1 million TEUs in less-than-container-load services by the early 2010s, though profitability remained challenged by competitive pressures in freight forwarding.

Recent Restructuring, Spinoffs, and Refocus (2016–present)

In 2016, A.P. Møller – Mærsk A/S initiated a strategic review to address underperformance in its diversified portfolio, particularly amid low oil prices and volatile , leading to a reorganization into two main divisions: Transport & and . This separation aimed to streamline operations and allow independent focus, with the company committing to divest non-core energy assets to refocus on shipping and integrated as its primary growth drivers. The divestment process accelerated in 2017, beginning with the sale of to Total S.A. for approximately $7.4 billion, marking the exit from upstream oil and gas exploration. Subsequent transactions included the divestiture of Maersk Tankers and the of , which was listed separately on before merging with in 2022. By 2019, these moves had substantially reduced exposure to volatility, with Maersk Supply Service—the final major energy-related asset—sold to Further Offshore Solutions in 2023 for $658 million, completing the full exit from the sector initiated six years prior. Parallel to energy divestments, Maersk pursued operational simplification in its core logistics business. In 2020, it restructured by eliminating legacy brands like Hamburg Süd and consolidating ocean, logistics, and terminals into unified divisions to enhance end-to-end supply chain integration, akin to models employed by parcel carriers. This refocus emphasized digital tools, such as blockchain pilots with IBM, and customer-centric services over cyclical shipping alone. In 2024, Maersk further sharpened its portfolio by demerging Svitzer, its towage and marine services unit, through a spinoff that distributed shares to Maersk shareholders and resulted in a separate Nasdaq Copenhagen listing on April 30. The move, approved by shareholders in April, allowed Svitzer to operate independently while enabling Maersk to allocate capital more efficiently toward container volumes and logistics, which accounted for over 90% of its EBITDA by then. This culminated a multi-year transformation, yielding improved profitability amid post-pandemic supply chain disruptions, though exposed to ongoing geopolitical risks like Red Sea rerouting.

Operations and Subsidiaries

Ocean Container Shipping and Integrations

A.P. Møller–Maersk operates one of the world's largest shipping networks, transporting across major global trade lanes with a focus on reliability and scale. As of early 2025, its fleet includes 313 owned vessels and 433 chartered vessels, contributing to a total capacity of approximately 4.57 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). The company holds about 14.6% of the global container shipping , ranking second behind (MSC). Maersk's services cover key east-west trades, including trans-Pacific, trans-Atlantic, and Asia-Europe routes, with connections to over 300 ports worldwide through dedicated mainline and feeder services. Since February 2025, it has participated in the Gemini Cooperation, a long-term operational alliance with Hapag-Lloyd that deploys 300–340 vessels across seven trades and 59 services, pooling around 3.4 million TEU in combined capacity to optimize schedules and reduce emissions via vessel sharing and joint planning. This replaced the earlier 2M alliance with MSC, which expired in January 2025, allowing Maersk to enhance network density without full merger risks. Integrations extend ocean shipping into a seamless ecosystem, leveraging subsidiaries for vertical control. Maersk combines transport with ' port operations—managing over 70 terminals globally—to minimize dwell times and improve throughput, as inland services from APM were restructured into Maersk's arm in 2019 for better sea-land connectivity. Digital platforms enable data integrations via APIs and EDI, linking shippers' systems for real-time visibility from booking to delivery, while tools incorporate ocean freight with warehousing, trucking, and customs clearance. This end-to-end approach, handling about 12% of global volumes, supports resilience against disruptions like Red Sea rerouting, where Maersk projected 4% volume growth for 2025 amid capacity adjustments.

Port and Terminal Management (APM Terminals)

, a of A.P. Moller - Maersk, specializes in the development and operation of container terminals and ports worldwide. Its operations trace back to , when Maersk established a general facility at the Port of New York, marking the beginning of its terminal management activities. Over decades, APM Terminals has expanded into a global network, emphasizing efficiency, , and integration with Maersk's ocean shipping services to facilitate seamless container handling and . The company operates 60 terminals across 33 countries, strategically positioned at key trade hubs to handle growing container volumes. In 2024, APM Terminals achieved record revenue of USD 4.5 billion, reflecting a 16% increase from the prior year, driven by volume growth and operational improvements. Its EBITDA reached USD 1.6 billion that year, underscoring financial resilience amid fluctuating global trade dynamics. Efficiency metrics highlight its performance, with six APM Terminals facilities ranked among the world's top 10 most efficient container terminals in the 2024 Container Port Performance Index by the World Bank. Key operational strengths include investments in automation and capacity expansion, such as US$135 million in capital expenditures during the second quarter of 2024 for terminal upgrades in Spain and the United States. APM Terminals has pursued strategic acquisitions to enhance connectivity, including the 2025 purchase of a Panama Canal land bridge railway to mitigate canal disruptions and a US$1 billion agreement for port developments in India's Andhra Pradesh region. Divestments, like the 2021 sale of its Rotterdam terminal to Hutchison Ports and a stake in Russia's Global Ports, reflect portfolio optimization amid geopolitical shifts. Sustainability initiatives target net-zero emissions by 2040, with efforts in decarbonization integrated into terminal operations. While generally praised for reliability, isolated complaints regarding and service levels have arisen, such as at the Port of Aarhus in early 2025. continues to prioritize technological integration and customer-centric enhancements to maintain its competitive edge in . Damco functioned as A.P. Moller-Maersk's dedicated division for and freight forwarding, offering services including air freight, less-than-container load (LCL) shipments, full-container load (FCL) forwarding, and end-to-end solutions across a global network. Acquired in 2005 as part of the purchase, Damco Sea & Air became the group's forwarding arm, integrating with Maersk Logistics in 2007 to form a unified entity focused on and value-added services like warehousing, distribution, and brokerage. By emphasizing digital tools for visibility and optimization, Damco handled complex supply chains for industries such as consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, and , operating in over 100 countries with specialized capabilities in emerging markets. In , Maersk began deeper integration by combining Damco's services with Maersk Line's ocean products, aiming to reduce silos and deliver seamless ocean-to-door solutions under a single commercial structure, including bundled pricing for forwarding and carrier services. This shift addressed competitive pressures in freight forwarding, where pure forwarders like challenged integrated carriers, by leveraging Maersk's asset base for cost efficiencies while retaining Damco's non-asset expertise in contract logistics. The integration enhanced offerings like track-and-trace portals and resilient planning, particularly for volatile routes. By September 2020, Maersk announced the full dissolution of the Damco brand by year-end, folding its air freight and LCL operations into Maersk's broader logistics and services portfolio to minimize handoffs and prioritize integrated end-to-end experiences. This restructuring involved significant headcount reductions—estimated at thousands globally—as Maersk refocused on asset-light forwarding complementary to its ocean dominance, discontinuing standalone non-vessel operating common carrier (NVOCC) products. Post-integration, Maersk's Logistics & Services unit continues Damco's legacy through offerings like air cargo partnerships and LCL consolidation, supporting supply chain resilience amid disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic and Red Sea tensions. Customers transitioned via dedicated portals, ensuring continuity in forwarding capabilities without the separate Damco identity.

Specialized Services (Svitzer, MCI, and Others)

Svitzer Group A/S specializes in towage and marine services, providing harbor towage, terminal towage, and emergency response towing with a fleet exceeding 450 vessels across more than 100 ports globally. The company became a majority-owned subsidiary of A.P. Moller-Maersk in 1979, operating within the group for over four decades until its demerger in April 2024 to focus on independent growth in the marine services sector. Following the demerger and separate listing on Nasdaq Copenhagen, A.P. Moller Holding, the Maersk family's investment arm, launched a voluntary purchase offer in April 2025 to acquire the remaining shares at approximately 9 billion Danish kroner, valuing Svitzer at $1.3 billion. The offer was successfully completed on May 16, 2025, with A.P. Moller Holding securing 93.4% ownership through its subsidiary APMH Invest A/S, leading to Svitzer's delisting and return to private control under family ownership. Maersk Container Industry A/S (MCI) focuses on the , , and servicing of refrigerated containers, particularly the Star Cool series, which incorporates advanced insulation and cooling technologies for perishable cargo transport. Established as a key component of Maersk's , MCI operates production facilities in and maintains a global network of over 400 service providers for container . In September 2021, A.P. Moller-Maersk announced plans to divest MCI to (CIMC) for approximately $987 million to streamline operations, but the transaction was terminated in August 2022 amid antitrust scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice. Maersk elected to retain full ownership of MCI in May 2024, citing strategic value in integrated solutions amid evolving demands. Other specialized services under Maersk include depot and container handling operations through entities like Maersk Depot Services, which manage equipment storage, repair, and repositioning at key global locations to support efficient container lifecycle management. Additionally, Maersk Training provides maritime simulation and competency training for seafarers, utilizing advanced centers in multiple countries to enhance safety and operational standards in shipping. These units complement core logistics by addressing niche requirements in vessel support, equipment maintenance, and crew development, though they represent a smaller portion of Maersk's overall portfolio compared to ocean freight.

Energy Sector Legacy and Spinoffs

Upstream Oil and Gas Exploration (Maersk Oil)

Maersk Oil, the upstream exploration and production arm of A.P. Moller-Maersk, commenced operations in 1962 following the Danish government's award of a concession for oil and gas activities in the Danish sector, formalized through the Sole Concession signed by King Frederik IX on July 8. Initial exploration efforts yielded the Dan field discovery in 1966, enabling first oil production from assets in 1972 via the Danish Underground Consortium (DUC), a encompassing chalk reservoirs in the central Danish sector. By the 1980s and 1990s, Maersk Oil expanded within the DUC, developing fields such as Tyra (discovered 1977) and Roar, achieving peak production efficiencies through enhanced recovery techniques like water injection, with Tyra serving as a key processing and export hub handling up to 90% of Danish gas output at its height. In the UK North Sea, Maersk Oil secured licenses in the 1990s and 2000s, operating high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) assets including the Culzean field, discovered in 2011 and representing one of the largest UK finds in a decade with potential peak output of 70,000-100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d). Over the decade prior to 2017, Maersk Oil's global exploration program identified nearly 1.4 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) in resources, though commercialization challenges limited some to appraisal stages, reflecting the high-risk nature of frontier drilling amid volatile commodity prices. Production from North Sea operations averaged around 200,000-250,000 boe/d in the mid-2010s, supported by cost discipline and technological innovations in reservoir management, yet faced pressures from maturing fields requiring significant reinvestment for sustained output. Internationally, Maersk Oil diversified beyond the North Sea, entering Qatar in 1992 via an Exploration and Production Sharing Agreement (EPSA) with Qatar Petroleum for offshore Block 5, leading to the Al Shaheen field development— one of the world's largest non-OPEC oil fields—with Maersk holding a 40% stake and achieving production exceeding 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) by the mid-2010s through phased expansions involving horizontal drilling and miscible gas injection. In Brazil, the company acquired offshore assets from SK Energy in 2010 for $2.4 billion, gaining entry into the prolific pre-salt basins with exploratory potential in blocks off the Santos and Campos regions, though development timelines extended due to regulatory and fiscal hurdles. These ventures underscored Maersk Oil's strategy of targeting large, technically challenging reservoirs to offset North Sea decline, with aggregate operated production reaching approximately 550,000 boe/d at peak prior to divestment. Maersk Oil's upstream portfolio was divested in 2017 amid A.P. Moller-Maersk's strategic refocus on core logistics, with Total acquiring the entity for an enterprise value of $7.45 billion—comprising $4.95 billion in Total shares and $2.5 billion in assumed debt—completed on March 8, 2018, thereby transferring 1 billion boe of proved and probable reserves primarily from North Sea and Qatar assets. This transaction, valued at roughly $10 per boe of reserves, reflected market conditions post-2014 oil price crash, where Maersk Oil's emphasis on low-cost operations had preserved cash flows but could not fully mitigate exposure to cyclical upstream risks. Post-acquisition, the assets integrated into Total's portfolio, with ongoing developments like Al Shaheen expansions and Culzean startup in 2019 validating prior exploration value despite the divestment rationale centered on capital allocation away from volatile energy markets.

Offshore Drilling and Support (Maersk Drilling and Supply Service)

Maersk Drilling, a subsidiary of A.P. Moller-Maersk, specialized in offshore drilling operations, owning and operating a fleet of rigs designed for harsh-environment and deepwater conditions, including jack-up units, semi-submersibles, and drillships primarily deployed in regions like the North Sea and other challenging offshore environments. The division's activities supported upstream oil and gas exploration and production, with rigs capable of handling extreme weather and water depths exceeding 3,000 meters in select assets. Established as part of Maersk's energy sector expansion, it contributed to the group's diversification beyond shipping by leveraging engineering expertise from container vessel operations to rig design and maintenance. Maersk Supply Service complemented drilling efforts by providing essential marine support services to the offshore energy industry, including anchor handling, rig towing, platform supply, and integrated project solutions using anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessels, platform supply vessels (PSVs), and specialized support ships. With origins tracing back over 50 years to the , the service operated globally, servicing oil and gas platforms and rigs with for equipment, fuel, and personnel transport in demanding areas such as the , , and . Its fleet emphasized reliability in severe conditions, enabling efficient mobilization and demobilization of drilling units while minimizing downtime through purpose-built vessels equipped for heavy-lift operations and emergency response. These divisions operated synergistically within Maersk's energy portfolio, with Drilling focusing on well construction and Supply Service ensuring logistical backbone, achieving high utilization rates during peak oil demand periods in the 2000s and 2010s amid rising global energy needs. However, exposure to volatile commodity prices and the 2014-2016 oil downturn led to rig idling and cost-cutting measures, including fleet reductions and contract renegotiations. In line with Maersk's strategic refocus on container logistics, Maersk Drilling was demerged on February 21, 2019, and listed independently on Nasdaq Copenhagen on April 4, 2019, transferring full ownership of its approximately 15-20 rigs at the time to shareholders. Maersk Supply Service followed with divestment completed in March 2023, marking the exit from direct offshore support operations to streamline the core business.

Post-Spinoff Independence and Impacts

Following the 2017 sale of Maersk Oil to Total S.A. for $7.45 billion, comprising $4.95 billion in Total shares and the assumption of $2.5 billion in debt, the assets were integrated into Total's portfolio, adding approximately 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent in 2P/2C reserves, primarily in the North Sea, and establishing Total as the second-largest operator there. This transaction enabled Maersk to reduce its debt by about $2.8 billion net and strengthen its credit metrics, facilitating a sharper focus on transportation and logistics amid energy market volatility. Maersk Drilling, demerged and listed independently as The Drilling Company of 1972 A/S on Nasdaq Copenhagen in April 2019, operated as a standalone offshore drilling firm with a fleet emphasizing harsh-environment capabilities until its merger with Noble Corporation plc in October 2022. The combination created a larger entity with enhanced scale, combining Noble's floaters and jackups with Maersk Drilling's assets, positioning it as a leading provider in a recovering offshore market post-2014 downturn, though independent performance was constrained by low oil prices and rig oversupply prior to the merger. Maersk Supply Service, after a planned 2019 spin-off was abandoned due to subdued offshore demand—where it reported $263 million in revenue but declining operating profit—underwent divestment in stages. In May 2023, it was transferred to AP Moller Holding A/S, Maersk's parent entity, as part of exiting energy activities; subsequently, in July 2024, AP Moller Holding sold it to DOF Group ASA, with the acquisition completing in November 2024, bolstering DOF's global marine services fleet of over 60 vessels. These divestitures collectively insulated Maersk from sector cyclicality, including price swings and geopolitical risks, yielding over $100 million in gains from sales and enabling reinvestment in core , which contributed to record shipping profitability by 2024. For the independent entities, separation fostered specialized strategies: Total leveraged Maersk Oil's expertise for production growth; the Noble-Maersk Drilling merger improved utilization amid rising demand; and Maersk Supply Service's transition to DOF expanded its role in offshore wind and subsea operations.

Business Strategy and Performance

Financial Metrics and Market Dynamics

A.P. Møller – Mærsk A/S reported trailing twelve-month revenue of $56.807 billion as of June 30, 2025, reflecting a 15.94% year-over-year increase driven by recovering container volumes and elevated freight rates amid supply chain disruptions. In the first quarter of 2025, revenue rose 7.8% to $13.3 billion, with EBIT surging to $1.3 billion from $177 million the prior year, attributed to stronger demand and pricing power in ocean shipping. The second quarter saw revenue growth of 2.8% and EBIT of $845 million, though sequential declines occurred due to normalizing rates post-peak disruptions. By the third quarter, revenue dipped 0.9% year-over-year, yet profit from continuing operations reached $520 million, reversing a $173 million loss from the comparable period, as cost controls offset softer pricing. Key profitability metrics for 2025 include a revenue growth rate of 3.86%, return on equity of 12.33%, and net margin of 12.11%, underscoring operational resilience despite cyclical pressures in logistics. Maersk maintains a dominant position in container shipping, holding approximately 14.2% global market share as of mid-2025, operating a fleet capacity of 4,619,020 TEU, second only to MSC's 19.9%. This share reflects strategic integrations like the Gemini alliance with MSC, enhancing route efficiency amid competition from CMA CGM and others. On the NASDAQ Copenhagen Exchange, Maersk's Class B shares (MAERSK-B.CO) traded at 13,075 DKK as of October 24, 2025, within a 52-week range reflecting volatility from geopolitical factors, with a trailing P/E ratio of 4.88 and dividend yield of 8.37%. Year-to-date returns have outpaced the OMX Copenhagen 25 Index, supported by dividend payouts including one ex-dividend on March 19, 2025. Market dynamics in 2025 feature freight rate volatility, with spot rates on key routes like Far East to Northern Europe falling to around $4,000 per FEU by early year, pressured by fleet overcapacity outpacing demand growth of -1% to 4%. Red Sea disruptions have forced rerouting, adding 200%-400% to some rates via longer voyages, yet overall capacity expansions have mitigated transit time impacts and driven rate normalization. UNCTAD forecasts stalled maritime trade growth for 2025, with container rates remaining elevated but swinging due to geopolitical tensions and potential tariff hikes, challenging carriers' margins as vessel deliveries peak at 2.1 million TEU before easing in 2026.

Adaptations to Geopolitical Disruptions (Red Sea and Beyond)

In response to Houthi militia attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea starting in October 2023, Maersk suspended transits through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, initiating rerouting of vessels around Africa's Cape of Good Hope on December 19, 2023. This adaptation extended average transit times by about 9% for affected routes, as ships covered longer distances requiring additional fuel and crew time. By January 5, 2024, Maersk committed to avoiding the Red Sea for the foreseeable future due to persistent security risks, a stance maintained into 2025 amid expectations of continued disruptions. Operational adjustments included deploying extra vessels to offset a 15-20% capacity reduction in Q2 2024, as longer voyages tied up ships and strained global networks. These changes elevated fuel and operational costs but drove freight rates higher, enabling Maersk to raise its 2024 profit guidance multiple times, with the Red Sea situation contributing to a 41% ocean segment revenue increase by Q3 2024. Disruptions extended beyond Asia-Europe lanes, affecting Maersk's worldwide container operations by July 2024. To build resilience, Maersk invested in visibility through data analytics and , while advising clients on diversification via multi-sourcing, nearshoring, and alternative routes. Contingency planning and partnerships were prioritized to handle volatility, with the company forecasting issues persisting through 2025, potentially softening earnings compared to 2024 highs. Compounding Red Sea challenges, Maersk adapted to Panama Canal restrictions from drought-induced low water levels by shifting some vessels, including its OC1 service, to rail transport across the isthmus starting January 2024, circumventing transit limits that endured until mid-2024. For the Russia-Ukraine war, Maersk halted most ocean and air freight bookings to and from the region in February 2022, excluding humanitarian aid, while adjusting global routes to comply with sanctions and limit spillover congestion. These measures underscore Maersk's emphasis on antifragile networks amid layered geopolitical pressures into 2025.

Technological Integration and Efficiency Gains

A.P. Moller-Maersk has pursued digital transformation to integrate technologies like IoT, AI, and data analytics into its core operations, aiming to optimize shipping routes, container management, and supply chain visibility. This includes deploying Remote Container Management (RCM) systems across more than 300,000 refrigerated containers since 2018, enabling real-time tracking of environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity via IoT sensors. The RCM infrastructure supports predictive alerts for deviations, reducing manual inspections and cargo loss risks from spoilage, which traditionally account for significant perishable goods waste in maritime transport. In May 2025, Maersk initiated a fleet-wide rollout of its OneWireless digital connectivity platform on 450 vessels, enhancing IoT data transmission for precise cargo monitoring and enabling future applications in automated tracking. This upgrade facilitates seamless integration of thousands of IoT devices per vessel, supporting reefer container optimization and reducing latency in data flows that previously hindered real-time decision-making. AI applications have been embedded for , , and route optimization, with algorithms vast datasets to minimize empty repositioning—a key inefficiency in container shipping that can exceed 10% of global . In June 2025, Maersk introduced Trade & Tariff Studio, an AI-driven platform for automating classification and calculations, addressing complexities in global trade documentation that often delay clearances by days. These tools leverage to predict disruptions and automate , yielding gains in speed and resource allocation, though full-scale impacts depend on ecosystem-wide adoption. An earlier blockchain initiative, TradeLens, launched in 2018 with IBM, sought to digitize bill of lading and trade documents for faster, fraud-resistant exchanges, with pilots demonstrating reduced paperwork delays equivalent to days of transit time savings. However, the platform was discontinued in November 2022 due to limited carrier participation, highlighting challenges in achieving network effects for industry-wide efficiency despite technical viability. Maersk's ongoing $1 billion investment in digital capabilities, announced in May 2025, underscores a shift toward integrated platforms unifying land and sea logistics, including AI-enhanced land transportation systems for end-to-end visibility. Overall, these integrations have driven measurable efficiencies, such as improved fuel consumption through data-informed vessel speed adjustments and lower inventory holding costs via accurate forecasting, contributing to Maersk's operational resilience amid volatile trade volumes. Empirical outcomes include enhanced fulfillment rates from hyperconnected systems linking devices and stakeholders, though gains are tempered by integration costs and dependency on supplier interoperability.

Environmental and Sustainability Efforts

Historical Emissions Profile and Industry Context

The international shipping industry, responsible for approximately 90% of global trade by volume, emitted around 1.05 billion metric tons of CO₂ in 2023, accounting for roughly 3% of anthropogenic fossil fuel CO₂ emissions. This figure reflects a 20% increase over the past decade, driven by rising trade volumes and larger vessel capacities, despite incremental efficiency gains from slow steaming and hull optimizations since the 2008 financial crisis. Heavy fuel oil (HFO), a high-carbon residual fuel comprising over 70% of bunker consumption pre-2020, has historically dominated propulsion, with methane slip from LNG and black carbon from HFO adding non-CO₂ GHG contributions estimated at 10-20% of total climate forcing. Regulatory milestones like the IMO's 2020 sulfur cap reduced SOx but had negligible impact on CO₂, as decarbonization relies on fuel switching rather than exhaust scrubbing. A.P. Møller–Mærsk A/S (Maersk), the world's largest container shipping operator by capacity, reported direct (Scope 1) GHG emissions of 38.7 million metric tons CO₂ equivalent in 2020, up from 33.9 million in 2018, reflecting fleet expansion and post-pandemic demand surges. By 2024, Maersk's operational CO₂ emissions reached 83.5 million metric tons, a rise attributed to increased vessel utilization, longer routes amid Red Sea disruptions, and integration of higher-emission chartered tonnage. Scope 1 emissions, primarily from marine fuel combustion in owned and controlled vessels, constitute over 90% of Maersk's direct footprint, with Scope 2 (e.g., terminal electricity) adding under 5%. Absolute emissions have trended upward since 2010, correlating with Maersk's market share growth to ~17% of global container capacity, outpacing per-vessel efficiency improvements. Carbon intensity metrics, such as grams CO₂ per ton-mile or per (TEU), provide a normalized view; Maersk's energy efficiency operational indicator (EEOI) deteriorated in 2022 due to bottlenecks and speed increases, though long-term declines averaged 1-2% annually from 2015-2020 via retrofits and route optimizations. Industry-wide, shipping's emissions intensity fell ~30% since 2008 baselines but rebounded post-COVID from congestion and fuel price volatility, underscoring that volume-driven growth often offsets technological gains absent fuel transitions. Maersk's profile mirrors sectoral challenges, where empirical data from AIS tracking and fuel logs reveal emissions as a direct function of distance, load factors (typically 70-80% utilization), and dependency, with no verifiable evidence of systematic underreporting in audited disclosures.

Decarbonization Initiatives and Green Fuel Transitions

A.P. Møller – Mærsk A/S (Maersk) has pursued decarbonization through a strategy emphasizing the development and deployment of low- and zero-carbon fuels, alongside efficiency improvements in its ocean transport operations. In January 2022, the company accelerated its net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target to 2040, a decade ahead of its prior 2050 goal, with interim milestones including at least 50% reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions and 30% in scope 3 emissions by 2030 relative to 2020 levels. These targets received validation from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in February 2024 as the first in the maritime sector under new industry-specific guidance, specifying a 96% absolute reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions and 90% in scope 3 emissions by 2040. Central to Maersk's green fuel transition is its commitment to methanol, particularly green methanol produced from renewable sources or captured carbon. The company ordered its first 12 dual-fuel methanol-enabled large container vessels in August 2021, followed by six additional 17,000 TEU units from Hyundai Heavy Industries in October 2022 and six 9,000 TEU vessels from Yangzijiang Shipbuilding in June 2023, with deliveries scheduled through 2027. In September 2023, Maersk introduced the Laura Maersk, the world's first methanol-enabled container ship, a 2,100 TEU vessel, and secured green methanol supplies for its maiden voyage. By December 2023, the first of 18 large methanol-enabled vessels on order entered service on the Asia-Europe trade lane, with the fleet expanding to 25 dual-fuel methanol vessels by 2027, including the A.P. Møller delivered in November 2024 as the ninth such unit. Maersk has supplemented methanol efforts with biofuels and explored other alternatives amid supply chain development. Its ECO Delivery Ocean service, launched prior to 2023, incorporates biodiesel and other green fuels to reduce fossil fuel dependency in select routes, with strong demand reported in 2023. While initially skeptical of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a transitional fuel due to methane slip concerns, Maersk indicated in 2024 a willingness to incorporate LNG dual-fuel capabilities in newbuilds as a bridge option, hedging against green fuel availability constraints. The company has also invested in green hydrogen-derived fuels, partnering on production initiatives to support methanol and ammonia pathways, though methanol remains the primary near-term focus for vessel orders. These transitions align with Maersk's broader investments in fuel supply chains, including offtake agreements for green methanol to ensure scalability.

Empirical Critiques of Net-Zero Claims and Economic Realities

Maersk's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions across its operations by 2040 relies heavily on transitioning to green methanol as a primary marine fuel, with the company having ordered dual-fuel vessels capable of running on this alternative. However, empirical assessments reveal significant scalability barriers, as global green methanol production remains minimal, accounting for less than 1% of total methanol output in 2024, primarily due to the high energy demands of electrolytic hydrogen production required for e-methanol synthesis. Current "green" methanol supplies often derive from biomass or capture processes with incomplete decarbonization, yielding lifecycle emissions reductions of only 20-50% compared to fossil fuels when accounting for upstream production inefficiencies and supply chain leakages. Operational challenges further undermine the feasibility of Maersk's claims, including inconsistent bunkering infrastructure and engine reliability issues reported in early methanol-powered trials, such as corrosion risks and performance variability under varying load conditions. In February 2025, Maersk scaled back its near-term green fuel adoption targets, citing insufficient supply availability and production bottlenecks, a decision that underscores the gap between aspirational pledges and practical deployment at the scale needed for a fleet handling over 12 million twenty-foot equivalent units annually. Industry-wide data indicate that alternative fuels like green methanol constituted under 0.5% of marine bunker sales in 2024, with projections for 2030 falling short of the 5% zero-emission fuel mix targeted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), highlighting systemic underestimation of infrastructural and raw material constraints. Economically, the transition imposes substantial costs, with green methanol priced at 3-4 times the cost of conventional very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) as of mid-2025, driven by capital-intensive production processes requiring renewable electricity equivalent to several times Denmark's annual output for full fleet conversion. Maersk executives have advocated for carbon pricing mechanisms, including a $150-600 per tonne levy on fossil fuels, to artificially close this premium and achieve price parity, effectively transferring costs to shippers and consumers while subsidizing uncompetitive alternatives through regulatory distortion rather than market-driven innovation. Such policies risk inflating freight rates by 20-50% in the short term, eroding Maersk's competitiveness against non-adopting rivals and potentially displacing trade to less efficient modes, as evidenced by historical efficiency gains in shipping— a 30% reduction in energy intensity from 2008 to 2023—stemming from vessel design and routing optimizations rather than fuel switches. Critics, including industry analysts, argue that net-zero timelines overlook thermodynamic realities, such as methanol's lower energy density (15-20% less than marine diesel), necessitating larger fuel volumes and tankage that increase operational expenses and vessel deadweight reductions by up to 10%. Maersk's reliance on policy interventions for viability reveals an implicit acknowledgment that pure technological pathways fall short, with return on investment for green fleet investments projected at over 15 years under optimistic supply scenarios, excluding stranded asset risks if alternative fuels like ammonia or hydrogen prove more viable. These economic pressures have prompted diversification bets, such as biomethane blending, but even combined, they fail to address the sector's projected emissions trajectory, where shipping's share could rise to 5-8% of global GHGs by 2050 absent breakthroughs in primary energy production.

Controversies and Regulatory Issues

Labor Practices and Workplace Allegations

Maersk Line Limited, a subsidiary of A.P. Møller – Mærsk A/S, has faced allegations of retaliating against whistleblowers reporting safety violations aboard its vessels. In July 2023, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) determined that the company unlawfully suspended and terminated a chief mate on the containership Safmarine Mafadi after he reported concerns to the U.S. Coast Guard, including defective lifeboat equipment, potential alcohol consumption by crew members, and inadequate supervision of cadets. OSHA ordered reinstatement, promotion to master, and payment of approximately $457,759 in back wages, interest, and compensatory damages, plus $250,000 in punitive damages. Maersk challenged the findings but settled in July 2024, agreeing to over $707,000 in total compensation, deletion of negative records, and revisions to its safety reporting policies to protect employees from retaliation. Labor unions have raised concerns about working conditions and fatalities among Maersk employees and contractors. At the company's 2023 annual general meeting in Copenhagen, representatives from the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) highlighted nine workplace deaths in 2022, including incidents at terminals and vessels, and criticized efforts by Maersk's tug subsidiary Svitzer to reduce workers' pay by up to 47% during collective bargaining disputes. Separately, the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) accused Maersk of using automation at U.S. ports to displace unionized workers, contributing to stalled contract negotiations in June 2024 that raised strike risks at East and Gulf Coast facilities. APM Terminals, Maersk's port operations arm, responded by suing the ILA in 2024 over an alleged illegal work stoppage during these talks. Workplace harassment allegations have included claims of sexual misconduct on Maersk vessels. In 2022, a joint statement from Maersk Line and a former cadet addressed litigation filed in New York Supreme Court alleging sexual assault and harassment during a training program, though details of resolution were not publicly specified. Broader lawsuits by midshipmen cadets have accused the company of violating the Jones Act and anti-discrimination laws through failures to prevent sexual violence and harassment on cargo ships. In a 2018 incident aboard the Maersk Memphis, a seafarer was fired for sexually harassing and threatening a female crew member but was reportedly rehired by the company, prompting criticism of its handling of such cases. Allegations of labor rights violations have also surfaced in shipbreaking operations involving Maersk vessels. Investigative reports from 2023 documented former Maersk ships being dismantled at Alang, India, under conditions exposing workers to hazardous materials without adequate protections, breaching international labor standards despite the company's stated commitments to responsible recycling. Maersk has maintained policies prohibiting discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, including a dedicated whistleblower platform, but enforcement has been contested in regulatory findings and union critiques.

Compliance Failures: Sanctions, Embargoes, and Fraud Claims

In July 2010, Maersk Line Limited (MLL), a U.S.-flagged subsidiary of A.P. Møller-Mærsk A/S, settled with the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for $3.1339 million over 4,714 apparent violations of the Sudanese Sanctions Regulations (SSR) and Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITR). These involved unlicensed shipping services for cargo transported to and from Sudan between June 2003 and July 2008, and to and from Iran between November 2006 and July 2009, with gross freight revenues exceeding $61 million; OFAC calculated a base penalty of $61.768 million but reduced it due to factors including the conduct's non-egregious nature, MLL's cooperation, and implementation of compliance measures, though MLL did not voluntarily disclose the violations. The case stemmed from MLL's failure to obtain necessary licenses for U.S.-flagged vessels carrying non-exempt goods, despite awareness of embargo restrictions, highlighting operational gaps in sanctions screening amid global trade volumes. Earlier and smaller sanctions-related penalties include a $5,500 fine in 2004 for an economic sanctions violation involving Cuba, as tracked by regulatory enforcement databases. In response to such incidents, Maersk enhanced its compliance framework, including trade controls policies prohibiting shipments to sanctioned parties or countries without authorization, though subsequent allegations persist; for instance, in November 2024, reports emerged of a Maersk-transported shipment of mining equipment to a Wagner Group-linked mine in Sudan, potentially breaching Western sanctions, but no formal penalty has been imposed as of that date. On fraud claims, Maersk Line settled a False Claims Act case with the U.S. Department of Justice in January 2012 for $31.9 million, resolving allegations of submitting inflated ocean transportation rates to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) between 2007 and 2010. The claims involved overcharges on DoD shipments under contracts where Maersk allegedly misrepresented costs, leading to improper payments; the settlement, which included no admission of liability, recovered funds for U.S. taxpayers and underscored scrutiny on government contractors' billing practices in high-volume military logistics. Additional fraud-related enforcement includes a 2016 $3.66 million penalty against a Maersk subsidiary for defrauding the U.S. government, though details centered on subsidiary-specific procurement irregularities rather than core shipping operations. These cases reflect broader compliance challenges in Maersk's U.S. government dealings, prompting internal anti-fraud measures like agent due diligence, but enforcement data indicates recurrent issues in regulatory adherence.

Geopolitical Trade Decisions and Security Responses

In response to Somali piracy threats, Maersk implemented enhanced security protocols following high-profile incidents involving its vessels. On April 8, 2009, the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama was hijacked by four Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean, approximately 240 nautical miles off Somalia's coast; the crew regained control of the ship, but Captain Richard Phillips was held hostage on a lifeboat and rescued by U.S. Navy SEALs on April 12 after a standoff. A subsequent attack on the same vessel on November 17, 2009, was repelled by privately contracted armed security personnel using small-arms fire, evasive maneuvers, and a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), marking an early adoption of such defensive measures in the industry. These events prompted Maersk and peers to routinely employ armed guards on transits through high-risk areas like the Gulf of Aden, alongside adherence to Best Management Practices (BMP) for piracy deterrence, including increased speeds and citadel safe rooms. Maersk's trade decisions have been shaped by Western sanctions regimes, particularly in compliance with EU, U.S., and UN restrictions. Following Russia's February 24, 2022, invasion of Ukraine, Maersk suspended all container shipments to and from Russian ports on March 1, 2022, excluding foodstuffs, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid, citing risks to stability and safety amid escalating sanctions. This halt aligned with broader carrier actions, such as those by MSC, and reflected preparations for evolving export controls, including inspections of Russia-related cargo in European ports to prevent dual-use goods transfers. Maersk maintained this policy through 2023, emphasizing full adherence to international sanctions laws in booking acceptances. Geopolitical tensions in the Red Sea prompted Maersk to alter major trade routes, prioritizing vessel safety over shortest paths. Starting November 2023, Houthi militants in Yemen, backed by Iran, launched drone and missile attacks on commercial shipping in solidarity with Hamas amid the Israel-Hamas war, leading Maersk to pause Red Sea transits on December 15, 2023, due to escalated risks in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. By December 19, 2023, the company initiated rerouting around Africa's Cape of Good Hope, adding up to 10-14 days and increasing fuel costs, after assessing that naval protections were insufficient against persistent threats. A brief resumption attempt in late December 2023 was aborted following further attacks, resulting in a full avoidance of the Suez Canal route announced on January 5, 2024, for the foreseeable future; this contributed to a 66% drop in Suez traffic by September 2024. Security responses included convoy coordination with international naval forces when briefly trialed, but rerouting remained the primary mitigation, underscoring causal links between militia actions and global supply chain delays.

Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities (NotPetya and Beyond)

In June 2017, A.P. Møller–Mærsk was severely impacted by the NotPetya malware attack, a destructive wiper disguised as ransomware that originated from a compromised update to the Ukrainian tax software M.E.Doc. The infection began at a Maersk office in Odessa, Ukraine, and rapidly propagated globally due to the company's interconnected IT infrastructure, affecting over 45,000 servers, 180,000 workstations, and numerous applications across its operations in more than 130 countries. The attack halted Maersk's core functions, including container booking, tracking, and port operations, forcing reliance on manual processes like paper manifests and whiteboards at terminals worldwide; for instance, the Port of Los Angeles experienced temporary shutdowns, and over 600 vessels were left unable to coordinate efficiently. Financial losses for Maersk reached $250–300 million in revenue, primarily from disrupted shipping during peak season, though insurance covered much of the direct IT recovery costs estimated at $30–40 million. Key vulnerabilities exploited included inadequate network segmentation, a single Active Directory domain for authentication, and initial backups that were partially compromised, highlighting systemic risks in centralized enterprise systems without air-gapped redundancies. Recovery efforts involved rebuilding the entire IT environment from offline tape backups untouched by the malware, a process that took approximately one month and required deploying 900–1,000 new servers manually, as automated tools were unavailable. Maersk's prior investment in segmented backups and rapid incident response planning mitigated total data loss, enabling operations to resume without paying the ineffective ransom demand of $300 in Bitcoin. Post-incident, the company rearchitected its systems toward greater resilience, including improved segmentation and cloud migration, crediting these measures for averting worse outcomes in subsequent threats. Beyond NotPetya, Maersk has faced no publicly reported breaches of comparable scale, but the shipping sector's inherent vulnerabilities—such as unencrypted vessel communications, legacy OT systems on ships, and supply chain interconnections—persist as risks, with Maersk emphasizing proactive defenses like endpoint detection and employee training. Industry analyses note that state-sponsored attacks like NotPetya, attributed to Russian actors targeting Ukraine but spilling over globally, underscore causal dependencies on third-party software and geopolitical cyber warfare, prompting Maersk to integrate cybersecurity into its ESG framework without evidence of recurring major incidents.

Piracy Incidents and Defensive Measures

One of the most prominent piracy incidents involving a Maersk vessel occurred on April 8, 2009, when Somali pirates hijacked the U.S.-flagged cargo ship Maersk Alabama approximately 240 nautical miles southeast of Eyl, Somalia, in the Indian Ocean. The ship, carrying 17,000 metric tons of grain bound for Mombasa, Kenya, was boarded by four armed pirates using two skiffs. The crew of 20, led by Captain Richard Phillips, initially repelled the boarders through evasive maneuvers and non-lethal defenses, but the pirates eventually gained control. Phillips surrendered himself as a hostage to secure the release of the ship and crew, and the pirates fled with him in a lifeboat. U.S. Navy forces, including the destroyer USS Bainbridge, intervened; on April 12, Navy SEAL snipers killed three pirates, rescuing Phillips while the fourth pirate, Abduwali Muse, was captured and later sentenced to over 33 years in U.S. federal prison. The Maersk Alabama faced a second pirate attack on November 18, 2009, again off the coast of Somalia, where assailants in skiffs fired upon the vessel but were repelled by enhanced onboard security measures implemented post the April incident. No crew members were harmed, and the pirates withdrew after the ship's defenses proved effective. In another case, the Maersk-operated MV Tygra was successfully hijacked by Somali pirates on August 5, 2009, near the Gulf of Aden, with its 26 crew members held hostage for over two months until a ransom was paid and the vessel released on October 11, 2009; subsequent boarding attempts on the ship in 2009, 2010, and 2011 were thwarted. More recently, on an unspecified Wednesday evening in 2018, pirates attempted to board the Maersk Cardiff in the Gulf of Guinea, but the incursion was averted by summoning a guard vessel. Following the 2009 Alabama hijacking, Maersk Line reviewed and strengthened its anti-piracy protocols, including enhancements to vessel access barriers and non-lethal deterrents such as high-pressure water cannons from fire hoses to repel approaching boarders. The company has advocated for increased international naval patrols in high-risk areas, notably calling in January 2021 for bolstered military presence in the Gulf of Guinea after multiple regional incidents affecting its fleet. Maersk participates in collaborative forums with peers like CMA CGM and MSC to share intelligence on threats, standardize security procedures, and maintain vigilance against resurgent piracy, emphasizing route deviations, increased speeds, and citadel safe rooms for crew during alerts. In line with industry best practices, Maersk vessels in piracy-prone zones often employ privately contracted armed security personnel to provide lethal force deterrence when legally permissible under flag state regulations.

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  223. https://qz.com/83726/look-at-how-massive-ships-defend-themselves-from-pirates
  224. https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/maersk-calls-for-increased-military-protection-in-gulf-of-guinea-piracy-hotspot
  225. https://www.cma-cgm.fr/detail-news/14/leading-container-lines-reinitiate-piracy-meetings-to-keep-focus-on-piracy?cat=safetyandsecurity
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