Maersk faces $500m in monthly extra costs on higher oil prices

Danish shipping giant Maersk Group is reportedly facing almost half a billion dollars in additional monthly costs as oil prices hover around $100 per barrel.

“The energy shock is adding about $500 million of extra costs per month for as long as the oil remains in the $100 per barrel range,” its CEO Vincent Clerc was quoted as saying by CNBC.

Clerc admitted that the company was “not able to shoulder the massive cost increase”, which raised questions about how long the shipping industry and consumption could remain resilient.

In its first-quarter 2026 financial statement, Maersk said underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation reached $1.75 billion, down 35 percent year on year.

Revenue fell 2.6 percent compared with the previous year to $13 billion, driven by lower freight rates and higher costs from increased volumes.

Maersk shares were last trading 7 percent lower on Nasdaq Copenhagen exchange.

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