Netanyahu and Katz push to scrap ZIM sale to Hapag-Lloyd
Israeli leaders cite security concerns over the $4.2bn carve-up of the national carrier
The proposed sale of ZIM Integrated Shipping Services to Hapag-Lloyd and Israeli private equity firm FIMI faces its most serious challenge yet, after prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Israel Katz came out against it. According to Israeli media, the two urged that the transaction be scrapped, arguing it does not adequately protect the country's security interests and raising pressure on the regulators reviewing it.
The deal, signed earlier this year, values ZIM at about $4.2bn, or $35 a share. Under the proposed structure, Hapag-Lloyd would take much of ZIM's international business, while FIMI would hold the Israeli-linked operations, headquarters and government relationship, including responsibility for the state's golden share.
Critics argue ZIM remains a strategic national asset, a view sharpened by the war, which highlighted the carrier's role in emergency logistics and supply security; a Knesset panel had earlier warned it played a vital part during the conflict. Scrutiny is heightened by Hapag-Lloyd's shareholder base, which includes Qatar's sovereign investment arm and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund alongside German and Chilean holders.
Analysts at Linerlytica note that if the sale collapses, Japan's Ocean Network Express would overtake Hapag-Lloyd in size by early 2028, reshaping the pecking order among the world's largest container lines.
