German shipping and container operator Hapag-Lloyd has signed an agreement to acquire 100 per cent of ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd, the world’s 10th-largest container shipping line.
The US$4 billion deal would see the combined business creating a global carrier, operating more than 400 vessels with a standing capacity exceeding three million TEU and transporting more than 18 million TEU annually.
Hapag-Lloyd said the move ‘would strengthen the network on all major global trades and consolidate leadership in key growth markets. The transaction is estimated to generate several hundred million US dollars of annual synergies. Hapag-Lloyd and ZIM will leverage the highly skilled workforce and cutting-edge technologies of both companies to build an even stronger combined team that will remain customer-centric, focused on profitable growth and delivering superior quality to customers around the globe’.
Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd, said: ‘Customers will benefit from a significantly strengthened network on the Transpacific, Intra Asia, Atlantic, Latin America and East Mediterranean.’
The deal is subject to shareholder and regulatory approval expected by late 2026.