Another giant wave of profit is expected to hit the balance sheet of Matson Inc. as the local ocean cargo transportation company continues to ride swells of demand for service from China.

The Honolulu-based firm announced today that it expects to earn around $160 million from operations during the three months ended June 30.

Matson’s specific second-quarter profit estimate between $156.9 million and $163.6 million is nearly double the $87.2 million it earned in the first three months of this year.

The estimated second-quarter profit also is nearly double what Matson earned for the whole year in 2019 — $83 million — and approaches its $193 million profit last year.

Matson has been capitalizing on exceptional demand for expedited premium service from China for over a year now in response to increased demand for goods amid the coronavirus pandemic, including personal protective equipment, cleaning products, home improvement supplies, electronics for working from home and many e-­commerce goods.

In the second quarter, however, Matson also said that demand began to pick up significantly in Hawaii and other domestic trade lanes as economic activity rebounds in tandem with COVID-19 case reductions and relaxed restrictions.

The company reported that its Hawaii container volume increased 10 percent in the second quarter primarily due to higher retail and hospitality-related demand due to the reopening of the local economy compared to a year earlier when the state had heavier COVID-19 mitigation measures in place, including restrictions on tourism.

“In Hawaii, we experienced elevated westbound freight demand as the state’s tourism and economy rebounded sharply from the pandemic lows,” the company said.

During the first quarter, Matson’s cargo volume for Hawaii rose just 0.6%.