How to Make Billions From Supply-Chain Bottlenecks
Maersk, DHL and other logistics giants are cashing in during the pandemic, but it’s not totally undeserved.
Ship of dreams.
Photo: Bloomberg
Supply chains have rarely been under greater strain, but that upheaval is helping generate massive profits for shipping and postal companies. This week two European logistics giants — AP Moller-Maersk A/S and Deutsche Post AG (owner of courier DHL) — delivered record earnings, just as U.S. delivery giant United Parcel Service Inc. did the week before.
On the face of it, logistics groups are benefiting from their customers’ woes during the pandemic: Consumers have been housebound and, as economies reopen, depleted businesses are rushing to restock. North American imports from the Far East jumped 40% in the first quarter, Maersk noted.