Japan's big three container shippers are expected to generate a combined pre-tax profit of 10.5 billion yen (US$117 million), according to the Nikkei newspaper.
K Line, NYK Line and Mitsui OSK Lines, each of which has experienced two straight years of pre-tax losses, are expected to benefit from demand increases and freight rate hikes that bring rates up to around 90 percent of what they were prior to the global financial crisis.
The lines' other operations, especially in bulk cargo, are also expected to benefit from improved conditions in a number of other Asian economies.