Hapag-Lloyd and ZIM have announced in these hours that they have A merger agreement has been reached under which the company will acquire ZIM for $35.00 per share in cash, which represents a 58% premium over the Friday's share price of the Israeli company and which assigns to the entire share capital of ZIM a value of about $4.2 billion. The German company specified which will finance the transaction with its own reserves of liquidity and through external financing up to a total of 2.5 billion dollars.

As announced by Hapag-Lloyd ( of 16 February 2026), the agreement provides that a new company New ZIM, set up by the FIMI Opportunity Funds, which is the largest and most important private equity fund of the country, acquires a part of the assets of the ZIM, including the fleet of 16 ships owned by the current ZIM, operating more than 100 other chartered containerships, which will serve on the main maritime trade routes with Israel. In addition, the new ZIM, which will operate under the ZIM brand, will be owned and managed by FIMI and will have access to the Gemini Cooperation service network, vessel sharing agreement set up by Hapag-Lloyd with the Danish Maersk Line.

At the same time as the agreement with ZIM, Hapag-Lloyd entered into the agreement with the signed a binding memorandum of understanding with FIMI in on the basis of which the Special State Share held by the Israeli State in the ZIM will be transferred to a new branch of FIMI, subject to the approval of the State.

The merger agreement was unanimously approved by the ZIM Management Board and it is expected that the transaction will close by the end of 2026, subject to the approval of the Company's shareholders, and the satisfaction of the usual closure conditions, including the approval of the regulatory authorities and the State of Israel, in accordance with the requirements of the Special State Share.

"We believe - commented the president of ZIM, Yair Seroussi - that this represents the most prudent and beneficial for all ZIM shareholders. The decision to closing a transaction with Hapag-Lloyd reflects our commitment aimed at maximising shareholder value through a competitive tender process, while ensuring the best possible possible result for the company, our employees and the State of Israel. We are sure that this is an interesting operation for shareholders, which further consolidates the enormous success of the value creation that we have consolidated, giving them back about Ten billion dollars since our initial public offering."