Hapag-Lloyd has publicly acknowledged it is in advanced talks to acquire all shares of Zim Integrated Shipping Services, an Israeli container shipping company. The German carrier said Sunday that discussions are ongoing but emphasized that no binding agreement has been reached.
In its statement, Hapag-Lloyd made clear that several internal approvals remain pending. Specifically, consent from its management board, supervisory board and relevant corporate bodies has not yet been granted.
The companies have not disclosed any financial terms or valuation metrics related to the potential deal. The announcement contained no figures or payment structure information.
A central constraint identified in the statement is Zim's classification as a strategic asset for the State of Israel. The Israeli government holds a so-called "golden share" in Zim, a mechanism that grants the state control over certain strategic decisions including changes of ownership.
To address those regulatory sensitivities, Hapag-Lloyd is working to involve Israeli private-equity firm FIMI Opportunity Funds in the transaction. The goal of that inclusion, according to the company, is to help navigate approvals linked to Zim's strategic status, though no formal deal structure or agreement has been reported.
For the acquisition to proceed, the announcement noted it will require approval from multiple parties and authorities: the Israeli government, Zim shareholders and the pertinent regulatory bodies. The timeline for securing those approvals was not provided.
What this means
- Hapag-Lloyd is in advanced but non-binding negotiations to buy all shares of Zim Integrated Shipping Services.
- No financial terms have been revealed and internal approvals at Hapag-Lloyd remain outstanding.
- Because Zim is deemed strategic by Israel and the government holds a golden share, state and regulatory approvals will be necessary; Hapag-Lloyd is proposing to include FIMI Opportunity Funds to help address those hurdles.
The announcement is limited to the facts above and does not provide further details on timing, deal mechanics, or any contingent arrangements.