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ZIM fourth quarter profit falls 76%

ZIM ZIM vessel Sammy Ofer at berth
Israeli container line ZIM is the latest line to release its 2022 results, adding to the trend of significantly lower rates and profit in the fourth quarter 2022.

Fourth quarter net income of $417m in Q4 2022 compared to $1.71bn in Q4 2021, while annual profit remained around the same level - $4.63bn compared to $4.65bn in 2021.

Underpinning the sustained full year profit, despite the Q4 slump, was an average freight rate per teu of $3,240 for the full year 2022, up 16% on the 2021 figure. The average freight rate in the fourth quarter was $2,122, a year-over-year decrease of 42%.

Eli Glickman, ZIM President & CEO, said: “While macroeconomic uncertainties, the precipitous decline in freight rates over the past few months and the supply-demand imbalance continue to drive a challenging near-term outlook for container shipping, we are confident in ZIM’s strategy and believe we will generate positive EBIT in 2023.”

ZIM forecasts a full year adjusted EBIT of between $100m and $500m, compared to EBIT of $6.14bn in 2022.

ZIM carried 823,000 teu in the fourth quarter 2022, down 4% on-year, while full year volumes were down 3% at 3.38m teu.

“In 2023 and beyond, our focus on leveraging digital strategies, operating a high-quality sustainable fleet, and further implementing our global niche strategy positions us well to best serve our customers and generate long-term sustainable value for our shareholders,” said Glickman.