Hamburg City Hall, MM Warburg investment bankers and K+N chairman Klaus-Michael Kuehne have joined a consortium to buy Hapag-Lloyd, the world's fifth container shipping company, reports London's Financial Times.
The City of Hamburg will reportedly provide 20 per cent of the EUR1 million (US$1.6 million) "seed capital for a vehicle to manage a Hamburg-based bid for the line" from its troubled owner TUI Group, the German travel-shipping conglomerate.
Warburg and the Kuehne + Nagel chief had expressed interest in Hapag-Lloyd earlier this year, though Mr Kuehne's bid is separate from the activities of the international forwarding giant. Hamburg Senator Michael Freytag said the city wanted to keep shipowners in town.
Neptune Orient Lines, Cosco, AP Moller Maersk, Orient Overseas International, and Hamburg Sud have all been cited as possible bidders, reported American Shipper, as well as shipping tycoon John Fredriksen, who recently lost a big to oust TUI chairman Juergen Krumnow and gain two seats on the TUI board.
|
