Nippon Yusen K.K., Japan's largest shipping line by sales, said it may beat the annual profit forecast at its container-carrying unit as rebounding demand allows the introduction of peak-season surcharges.
The company plans to add an extra $200 per 6-meter container on Asia-North America routes beginning as early as this month through September, Mikitoshi Kai, its head of investor relations, said Thursday in Tokyo. The company hadn't included the levy in its profit forecast, he said.
Nippon Yusen, expecting the first profit in three years at its container division, has also returned all of its laid-up containerships to service as an economic rebound spurs U.S. demand for car parts, electronics and buildings materials. Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd., the second- and third-largest Japanese shipping lines by sales, are also predicting a return to profit this fiscal year for container operations.