Hapag-Lloyd has agreed to acquire Zim Integrated Shipping Services for $4.2 billion, enhancing its global market share and fleet capacity.
German carrier Hapag-Lloyd has agreed to buy Israel's Zim Integrated Shipping Services for US$4.2 billion, reported Ventura, California's gCaptain. The cash offer of US$35 per share represents a 58 per cent premium to Zim's February 13 closing price.
The acquisition will raise Hapag-Lloyd's global market share to about 9.2 per cent, reinforcing its position as the world's fifth-largest liner operator behind MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM, and Cosco. The combined fleet would exceed 400 vessels with a capacity of more than 4.8 million TEU.
Chief Executive Rolf Habben Jansen stated that Zim strengthens coverage across Transpacific, Intra-Asia, Atlantic, Latin America, and East Mediterranean trades. The merger moves Hapag-Lloyd into a top-four slot on the transpacific with an estimated three to four percentage point market share gain.
Zim contributes 713,000 TEU of operated capacity across 117 containerships and 14 car carriers, with 60 per cent newer tonnage and around 40 LNG-powered vessels. Management projects annual synergies of US$300-500 million from network optimization, procurement, equipment consolidation, and IT integration.
The deal addresses Israeli security safeguards through the transfer of Zim's 'Golden Share' to FIMI Opportunity Funds. FIMI will launch 'New Zim' with 16 modern vessels serving strategic trade lanes linking Israel with major ports in the EU, US, Mediterranean, and Black Sea.
Since its 2021 IPO, Zim has distributed US$5.7 billion in dividends, with total capital returned approaching US$10 billion. Under Chief Executive Eli Glickman, the company moved from negative equity in 2017 to record profitability during the pandemic freight surge.
The acquisition comes as Hapag-Lloyd reported 2025 revenues of US$21.1 billion, EBITDA of US$3.6 billion, and EBIT of US$1.1 billion, down sharply from 2024. The transaction has been unanimously approved by Zim's board and is expected to close by late 2026, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals.
