Hanjin Shipping Co., South Korea’s largest container-shipping line, expects to post a profit this year and boost sales 27 percent as world trade picks up and shipping lines pare fleet expansion plans.

“The gap between demand and capacity is expected to narrow this year as demand recovers and ship deliveries are delayed,” Chief Executive Officer Kim Young Min told reporters in Seoul. “Our aim is to post a net income for the year.”

Sales may reach $7.1 billion from $5.6 billion in 2009, Kim said. The company also aims to make an operating profit, or sales minus the cost of goods sold and administrative expenses, compared with a loss of $26 million last year, he said without giving a precise profit forecast.

Hanjin Shipping and A.P. Moeller-Maersk A/S, the world’s largest container line, are among shipping companies that have raised rates since late last year as the global economy recovers from a recession.

Global trade is expected to grow 5.8 percent this year after contracting 12.3 percent in 2009, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Hanjin Shipping had a net loss of 279 billion won ($243 million) in the fourth quarter of last year, it said on Feb. 4. That was the first time it had reported results since being divided into two separate listed companies in December.

The shipping line fell 2.8 percent to 26,250 won as of 2:22 p.m. in Seoul, compared with the benchmark Kospi index’s 0.4 percent drop. Affiliate Hanjin Shipping Holdings Co. declined 1.2 percent to 15,950 won. (Bloomberg)