The Kuehne+Nagel Group reported a good business performance in the third quarter of 2021. All business units were able to exceed their prior-year results, in some cases significantly. At CHF 21.8 billion, the Group's net turnover in the first nine months of 2021 was almost 50% higher than in the same period last year and EBIT more than doubled to over CHF 1.8 billion.
Dr. Detlef Trefzger, CEO of Kuehne + Nagel International AG, said: "In the current situation with supply chains that are difficult to plan, our Kuehne+Nagel experts are working tirelessly to implement the best possible logistics solutions for our customers. We are on track and were again able to achieve an excellent business result in the third quarter. In the coming months, we do not expect any significant change in the constrained market situation."
Sea Logistics
In the third quarter of 2021, the challenging market environment for Sea Logistics, with congested ports and supply chains out of sync, required a particularly high level of support and resultant lower logistics productivity. The business unit continued to focus on the transport of goods with complex requirements.
At 3.4 million TEU, container volumes in the first nine months of 2021 were slightly above the prior-year period. The unit’s net turnover was CHF 9.1 billion and EBIT reached CHF 991 million. The conversion rate was at 52.5%.
Air Logistics
With strong volume growth, Air Logistics once again posted market share gains in the third quarter of 2021. Globally limited cargo capacities required tailor-made customer solutions. Services for pharma and essential goods as well as e-commerce continued to be in high demand.
Air freight volumes in the first nine months of 2021 were around 50% higher than in the same period of the previous year at 1.6 million tonnes, of which around 20% is attributable to the acquisition of the Chinese air freight forwarder Apex. Net turnover was CHF 6.6 billion and EBIT CHF 645 million. The conversion rate was at 41.2%.