Q: Why are you particularly interested in the Israeli shipping company ZIM, and how are the negotiations progressing? (Statement by our CEO, Rolf Habben Jansen)
A: “There are not many shipping companies left that have the necessary scale and could therefore take us a significant step forward. ZIM is also quite similar to us and is well managed. This would bring us another step closer to the global top four in our industry. The synergies would generate annual savings of up to half a billion euros. As expected, the negotiations are complex and highly detailed.”

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 the longstanding relationship of Israel and Germany."

Q: What’s your view regarding the recent positions of the Ministry of Finance and the Government Companies Authority (GCA) of the State of Israel?
A: "The positions presented, among others, by the Ministry of Finance and the Government Companies Authority (GCA) of the State of Israel relate to our original proposal and do not take into account the significant improvements that have since been made to the proposed structure. Hapag-Lloyd and FIMI carefully considered the concerns raised by the authorities of the State of Israel. In direct response to those concerns, a substantially improved proposal was developed. All details of this proposal are currently being further detailed and will be submitted and explained to the relevant authorities of the State of Israel over the coming weeks. We are confident that the strengthened proposal addresses the concerns raised and will pave the way for approval of the transaction. We remain focused on closing the transaction as soon as possible."

Q: Why does the company still believe the transaction makes strategic sense?
A: "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: 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: How do you look at the geopolitical environment? (Statement by our CEO, Rolf Habben Jansen)
A: “Crises have become the new normal for the global economy. It began with the coronavirus pandemic and the supply chains that were disrupted at the time. Then came the blockage of the Suez Canal, Russia’s war in Ukraine and now the conflict in the Middle East. Even low water levels in the Panama Canal and the Amazon region pose a problem for commercial shipping. The prolonged typhoon season in Asia, for example, is currently causing long waiting times in Shanghai. Tariffs have also become almost impossible to predict. The number of disruptions worldwide is therefore particularly high at present.”

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: 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: 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.”