Q: What improvements have Hapag-Lloyd and FIMI made to the initial proposal to acquire ZIM? (Statement by our CEO, Rolf Habben Jansen)
A: "The substantially improved proposal gives Israel materially more maritime independence and addresses all its national security needs, which is critical as we were reminded again the past three years. By adding a route to Asia, investing in Israeli maritime personnel, keeping Israel's shipping expertise in the country, and providing ZIM Israel with a new modern fleet, we are enhancing Israel's shipping capabilities very significantly. I am genuinely convinced that the proposal we are presenting offers real solutions to the issues faced by the Israeli State and boosts Israel´s maritime capabilities and is a reflection of thelongstanding relationship of Israel and Germany."

Q: What is the status of the ZIM transaction? (Statement by our CEO, Rolf Habben Jansen)
A: We entered into a binding merger agreement with ZIM in February, which has been approved by the Company’s shareholders. We are working with the relevant regulatory bodies to obtain the necessary approvals. Discussions with the authorities have become significantly more intensive, and we are now in a phase of direct dialogue. We remain convinced that the concept is sound. If adjustments are needed to address concerns raised in the process, we will have to make them.

Q: Why does the company still believe the transaction makes strategic sense?
A: "The deal rationale is pretty clear: securing our position in the market, get access to an efficient and modern fleet, access to a great team and a broad customer base. And of course, in the end, it's also about synergies, which we expect to be between 300 and 500 million dollars.

The business combination of Hapag-Lloyd and ZIM would secure Hapag-Lloyd’s market position as the fifth-largest container shipping company worldwide with a modern fleet of over 400 vessels, a standing capacity of over 3 million TEU, and an annual transport volume of more than 18 million TEU."

Q: How does the revised proposal for the acquisition of ZIM address the concerns of the Israeli government and the relevant authorities regarding Israel’s maritime security and independence? (Statement by our CEO, Rolf Habben Jansen)
A: “We have listened carefully to the needs raised during our discussions with the Israeli government and the relevant authorities. Together with our partners, we are now developing an improved proposal designed to further strengthen Israel’s maritime security and independence. The revised proposal will secure Israel’s access to key shipping routes, including routes from Asia, and strengthen the protections provided under the Golden Share framework. The agreement will also prevent any foreign interference in the transportation of Israel’s sensitive cargo, representing a significant improvement over the current arrangement. We believe this transaction would mark another important milestone in the close relationship between Germany and Israel.”

Q: What led Hapag-Lloyd to now also route SE1 through the Red Sea and Suez Canal?
A: “Our initial transits through Bab al-Mandab have proceeded as planned and have provided valuable operational experience for the upcoming SE1 / AE12 passages. Each transit remains subject to a thorough security review and will take place with naval protection and in close coordination with the relevant authorities and security partners. This remains a gradual, service-specific approach and does not constitute a strategic return of our full network to the Red Sea. The safety of our crews and vessels, and the protection of our customers’ cargo, remain our highest priorities.”

Q: How is Hapag-Lloyd currently managing its services through the Red Sea and Suez Canal?
A: “We continuously assess the security situation together with specialized maritime-security advisers, relevant authorities and our partners.The Red Sea currently plays only a limited role in our overall network, with the vast majority of services continuing to route around the Cape of Good Hope. At present, six Gemini services – SE1, SE2, SE3, SE4, NE4 and IEX – are routed through the Red Sea and Suez Canal. We will continue to monitor developments closely and adjust the network if circumstances change. We will inform affected customers in case of further relevant changes.”

Q: What additional costs did Hapag-Lloyd incur as a result of the Middle East conflict? (Statement by our CEO, Rolf Habben Jansen)
A: “The large majority of the USD 600 million was higher oil prices. There were also the land bridges we had to build up, insurance costs and additional storage costs for boxes that were stuck for a while.”

Q: How has Hapag-Lloyd maintained supply chains in the region? (Statement by our CEO, Rolf Habben Jansen)
A: “We offer customers alternative routings. We have set up a number of land bridges to countries in the Upper Gulf, and that is working well. It causes quite a lot of additional cost, but we are able to keep those supply chains going.”

Q: What does the crisis show about Hapag-Lloyd’s network resilience?
A: “This crisis has shown that our network is resilient. The impact on the rest of our global network has been limited, and the hub-and-spoke structure we operate in Gemini together with Maersk has again proven to be robust. It underlines that such a structure can be more resilient than purely point-to-point operations.”

Q: How do you assess the current balance between supply and demand? (Statement by our CEO, Rolf Habben Jansen)
A: “Despite a large order book, we do not see a big imbalance between supply and demand today. It is actually fairly tight, which explains why short-term rates are up so much.”

Q: How is strong growth on dominant trades affecting equipment and capacity needs? (Statement by our CEO, Rolf Habben Jansen)
A: “The imbalance is getting worse. That means the cost of empty boxes is going up. With overall growth of something like 15% over the three-year period, we still need 25% more capacity because that is driven by the dominant legs. It also makes the business relatively more asset-intensive because we need to grow the fleet faster than the overall flow of goods.”

Q: What is the outlook for the Transpacific trade? (Statement by our CEO, Rolf Habben Jansen)
A: “An outlook on shipping is always very difficult. Right now, we still see strong demand into the US, so at the moment it looks like a pretty normal peak season. We still see strong volume today, and I think it is going to be quite normal and then tail off a little towards Golden Week.”

Q: Has container shipping changed structurally? (Statement by our CEO, Rolf Habben Jansen)
A: “To say that something has changed structurally in container shipping is probably a stretch. We know that this business can be very volatile and that swings from profit to loss, and vice versa, can be very quick. I personally do not think that the seasonality we have seen this year is very unusual.”

Q: Why is Terminal & Infrastructure becoming increasingly important to Hapag-Lloyd’s strategy? (Statement by our CEO, Rolf Habben Jansen)
A: "We look for terminal investments in locations that are important for the shipping company and where an investment also makes economic sense. We aim to find opportunities where we believe we can achieve a reasonable return and that are also good for the shipping business. Terminal valuations have risen sharply in recent years, and capacity is currently scarce, particularly in Asia."

Q: Why is Hapag-Lloyd strengthening its cooperation with DP World across Africa? (Statement by our CEO, Rolf Habben Jansen, from our last press release)
A: “Africa is one of Hapag-Lloyd’s most important growth markets, and we see significant long-term potential across the continent. To support this growth, we need reliable infrastructure, sufficient terminal capacity and a network that can scale with our customers. By strengthening our cooperation with DP World across the Africa continent, we are taking an important step to further improve the foundations of our service offering in Africa,” 

Q: How will the new investment in Rotterdam strengthen Hapag-Lloyd’s operations? (Statement by our CEO, Rolf Habben Jansen)
A: "Rotterdam is an importantport in Europe where we handle several million containers each year. It is therefore important for us to have guaranteed access to capacity there. We are already working with Maersk in Gemini, and this is a high-performing terminal that is being expanded. From a forward-looking perspective, the investment is alogical decision."

Q: What role will Damietta play in the Gemini network? (Statement by our CEO, Rolf Habben Jansen)
A: Damietta became operational later than originally planned, but current performance at the port is good. We also have a reasonable plan to ramp up volumes, particularly from the fourth quarter and the beginning of next year. The long-term outlook for Damietta is very good.

Q: What is planned for the Eurogate terminal in Hamburg?
A: "Hanseatic Global Terminals plans to acquire a 20% stake in Eurogate Container Terminal Hamburg, which currently has an annual capacity of 2.5 million TEU. The planned western extension and further automation are expected to increase capacity and improve cargo-handling efficiency at one of Hapag-Lloyd’s most important port locations."

Q: How will the new terminal in Aracruz support Hapag-Lloyd’s growth in Brazil?
A: "The acquisition of a 50% stake in the greenfield terminal project in Aracruz will add approximately 1.2 million TEU of future annual capacity to the portfolio. Designed to accommodate the latest generation of large vessels, the terminal will strengthen regional connectivity and provide an efficient new gateway to global markets. Operations are expected to begin in mid-2028."

Q: What do these investments mean for customers and global trade?
A: "These investmens mark important steps in strengthening our global terminal portfolio. Together with our partners, we aim to support the continued development of efficient, future-ready terminal infrastructure that benefits our customers, ports and global trade."

Q: How are Panama Canal capacity restrictions affecting Hapag-Lloyd’s services and customers? (Statement by our CEO, Rolf Habben Jansen)
A: The restrictions affect our route planning because vessels can pass through the Panama Canal only with less draft and fewer slots are available. We are trying to move more ships through the old locks, where there is still capacity. To continue delivering customers’ cargo, we have to adjust routes. Routing around South America would be an alternative, but we are not doing that at present.

Q: How is the Gemini network performing? (Statement by our CEO, Rolf Habben Jansen)
A: “We had a dip because of the bad weather at the beginning of the year, but still remained well above others. Over the last couple of months, we have been back above the 90% threshold, which I think is really good in today’s world.”