Freight-rate slump drags OOIL liner revenue

Asia-Europe and Trans-Pacific routes recorded the steepest declines.

Orient Overseas (International) Limited (OOIL) said its liner revenue fell 25.9% year-on-year to about S$3.08b (US$2.26b) in Q3 2025 as freight rates weakened across major trade routes, reflecting muted global shipping demand.

Total liftings rose 0.7% to about 1.9 million TEU as loadable capacity expanded 4.2%, but the overall load factor declined 2.8 percentage points, according to OOIL’s unaudited operational update posted on 10 October 2025.

Average revenue per TEU slipped 26.5% from a year earlier.

OOIL said Asia-Europe and Trans-Pacific routes recorded the steepest declines, with revenue down 38.3% and 33.2% respectively, as rates continued to normalise from pandemic peaks.

The Trans-Atlantic trade remained resilient, rising 25.4% on firmer cargo movement.

For the first nine months of 2025, cumulative liner revenue fell 8.3% to about S$9.12b (US$6.70b). Total liftings increased 4.7%, though average revenue per TEU dropped by 12.4%.

OOIL added that the container shipping market remains under pressure from subdued demand and persistent rate weakness, with recovery hinging on the pace of global trade growth.

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