A pair of container lines that haul cargo to and from the Port of Charleston from across the globe are combining in an all-cash deal valued at $4.2 billion.
Hapag-Lloyd of Germany announced earlier Feb. 16 that it’s bulking up by acquiring Israel’s Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. for $35 a share, or a 58 percent premium from its closing stock price last Friday.
The deal, which has been approved by the boards of both companies, is expected to be finalized by the end of the year. The sale still requires the blessing of Zim shareholders, industry regulators and the state of Israel, which owns a stake in the shipping business.
The two companies said they’ll continue to operate independently and that it’ll be “business as usual” until the deal is sealed. They’ll continue to collaborate under existing vessel-sharing agreements.
The tie-up will generate up to $400 million in cost savings and boost Hapag-Lloyd’s global fleet to more than 400 ships with the yearly capacity to transport than 18 million standard 20-foot-long containers.
CEO Habben Jansen said customers “will benefit from a significantly strengthened network” along most key global trade routes.
“We will particularly strengthen our presence on Atlantic routes, where we will become the second-largest carrier,” Jansen said at a news conference after the agreement was signed.
Yair Seroussi, chairman of Zim’s board, said the decision to sell followed “a thorough strategic review” and a “competitive bidding process.”
“We believe this represents the most prudent and beneficial transaction for all Zim stakeholders,” Seroussi said in a written statement.
A previous unsolicited offer from an investment group that included Zim’s current CEO was rejected as too low in November.
The Haifa-based cargo line was started in 1945. Its shares have been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 2021, and the company’s fleet is considered an critical national defense asset for its homeland. Multiple media outlets reported that employees went on strike indefinitely this week to protest the Hapag-Lloyd acquisition.
In 2023, Zim’s Sammy Ofer (above) became the first container ship fueled by liquefied natural gas to call at the Port of Charleston.
The deal calls for Israel’s investment in Zim to be transferred to a newly formed container venture that will be owned by Israeli private-equity firm FIMI Funds. Hapag-Lloyd is expected to be “a significant strategic partner” in the 16-vessel carrier.
“’New Zim’ will integrate significant transatlantic capabilities, alongside additional shipping routes to Europe, Africa, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea,” said Ishay Davidi, founder and CEO of the FIMI Funds.
Like larger rivals Mediterranean Shipping Co. and Maersk Line, Hapag-Lloyd and Zim are longtime customers of the Port of Charleston. Several of their cargo ships are scheduled to be worked at the Wando Welch and Leatherman terminals over the next few days.
