Maersk Line to acquire Hamburg Sud

Dec 02, 2016: Maersk Line and the Oetker Group have reached an agreement for Maersk Line to acquire Hamburg Sud, the German container shipping line. The acquisition is subject to final agreement and regulatory approvals.

“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 Dr Ottmar Gast, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Hamburg Sud Group.

“Giving up our engagement in shipping after an 80 year-long ownership in Hamburg Sud was not an easy decision for my family. We are very confident, though, to have chosen the best of all possible partners. Maersk will preserve and grow Hamburg Sud and what the brand and the whole organisation and a highly-dedicated workforce stand for: reliable and high quality logistical services to our customers,” said Dr August Oetker, Chairman of the Advisory Board of Dr August Oetker KG, the management holding company of the Oetker Group.

“The acquisition of Hamburg Sud is in line with our growth strategy and will increase the volumes of both Maersk Line and APM Terminals,” says Soren Skou.

Hamburg Sud and Aliança will continue as separate brands and continue to serve customers through their local offices.

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.

The acquisition is subject to a satisfactory due diligence, final agreement and subject to regulatory approval in amongst others China, Korea, Australia, Brazil, the United States and the EU. Maersk Line will work closely with the authorities. Maersk Line expects the regulatory process to last until the end of 2017. Until then, Hamburg Sud and Maersk Line will continue business as usual.

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

Hamburg Sud is the world’s seventh largest container shipping line and a leader in the North–South trades. The company operates 130 container vessels with a container capacity of 625,000 TEU. It has 5,960 employees in more than 250 offices across the world and market 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.