Dec 02, 2016: Maersk Line is set to acquire Hamburg Sud- the German container shipping line, as per an agreement between Maersk Line and the Oetker Group. The acquisition is subject to final agreement and regulatory approvals.

Hamburg Sud, which is the world’s seventh largest container shipping line and a leader in the North–South trades, operates 130 container vessels with a container capacity of 625,000 TEU. The company has 250 offices across the world and markets its services through the Hamburg Sud, CCNI (based in Chile) and Aliança (based in Brazil) brands. In 2015, Hamburg Sud had a turnover of USD 6,726 million of which USD 6,261 million stems from its container line activities.

“Today is a new milestone in Maersk Line’s history. I am very pleased that we have reached an agreement with the Oetker Group to acquire Hamburg Sud. Hamburg Sud is a very well-run and highly respected company with strong brands, dedicated employees and loyal customers. Hamburg Sud complements Maersk Line and together we can offer our customers the best of two worlds, first of all in the North - South trades,” said Soren Skou, CEO of Maersk Line and the Maersk Group.

“We are proud to join the global market leader Maersk Line. While gaining access to a superior network and systems we will continue the Hamburg Sud brand and business model offering personalized solutions to our shippers and consignees. By joining forces both Maersk and Hamburg Sud will strengthen their product portfolio and cost position to the benefit of their customers,” said Ottmar Gast, chairman of the executive board of the Hamburg Sud Group.

“We are very confident to have chosen the best of all possible partners. Maersk will preserve and grow Hamburg Sud and what the brand and the whole organization and a highly dedicated workforce stand for: reliable and high quality logistical services to our customers,” said August Oetker, chairman of the advisory board of Dr. August Oetker KG, the management holding company of the Oetker Group.

In the combined network, Hamburg Sud and Maersk Line’s customers will have access to the dedicated end-to-end services provided by Hamburg Sud in the North–South trades as well as the flexibility and reach provided in Maersk Line’s global network. Furthermore, the combined network will enable Maersk Line to develop new products with more direct port calls and shorter transit times.

With the acquisition, Maersk Line will have container capacity of around 3.8 million TEU (3.1 million TEU) and an 18.6% (15.7%) global capacity share. The combined fleet will consist of 741 container vessels with an average age of 8.7 years (9.2 years).

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