According to Israeli media, Globes, a preliminary offer has reportedly been made by German container liner Hapag-Lloyd to acquire the Israeli carrier ZIM.

The news further reports that additional interest was expressed by MSC and Maersk to buy the liner.

The proposal is reportedly at an early stage, and no discussions have yet occurred between the two companies.

According to the latest data from Alphaliner, Hapag-Lloyd currently ranks fifth in global market share, controlling 7.4% of the container shipping sector. ZIM holds the tenth position with 2.1%.

Analysts claim that an acquisition would not immediately alter Hapag-Lloyd’s ranking, but it would provide it with a larger market share.

Speaking to ShippingWatch, Mikkel Emil Jensen, senior analyst at Sydbank, commented, “Hapag-Lloyd is unlikely to become a dominant player. It will gain a stronger foothold, but without this having any significant impact on competition.”

Jensen observed that MSC’s size could present competitive challenges, but only a merger involving MSC and Hapag-Lloyd would likely attract scrutiny from competition authorities.

As of now, none of the major liners confirm or deny this news on their website.