Maersk Line, the world's largest container shipping company, says freight rates are increasing in the short term due to the collapse of Hanjin Shipping.
 
Klaus Rud Sejling, the executive in charge of Maersk’s east-west network, said in a phone interview with Bloomberg that there's no doubt of an influence in the short term, but the medium and long term effects remain to be seen.
 
Nordic bank SEB said in a recent report that the rise in freight rates could boost Maersk Line’s 2016 net profit by as much as 760 million U.S. dollars. However, it added that rate increases are unlikely to stick, so it’s more likely that Maersk Line’s profit will be boosted by less than 200 million dollars.
 
Sejling said the question is what will happen with the rates in the longer term. He said the effect is positive in the short term, but there are many factors that can influence rates in the medium and long term.