MARSEILLE/COPENHAGEN : CMA CGM and Maersk Line have announced that they have entered into a binding agreement whereby CMA CGM would acquire Mercosul Line, one of the leading players in Brazil’s domestic container shipping market.

 

The acquisition of Mercosul Line would allow CMA CGM to strengthen its service offering to and South America, most notably in Brazil, a market with a strong potential for development, especially on cabotage and “door-to-door” services. This activity is part of CMA CGM’s core strategy, which is to develop intra-regional sea transportation links and complementary services such as logistics.

 

The Mercosul transaction is subject to Brazilian regulatory approval and the closing of Maersk’s Hamburg Süd acquisition. At the earliest, the integration of Mercosul within CMA CGM will start at the same time as the Hamburg Süd integration, which is expected in Q4 2017. Until then, Mercosul Line will continue business as usual.

 

The transaction will ensure that the cabotage sector in Brazil remains competitive and that customers continue to benefit from a comprehensive choice of carriers.

 

Rodolphe Saadé, Chief Executive Officer of CMA CGM commented - “The acquisition of Mercosul represents a milestone in CMA CGM’s development strategy in South America. It is a well-managed company and we will leverage this platform to expand our footprint and service offerings to and from Latin America, seizing opportunities linked to the high growth prospects in this region. As a result, CMA CGM will be able to propose complete door-to-door services continue providing best-in-class services to its customers.”

 

Søren Toft, Chief Operating Officer, Maersk Line commented - “Mercosul is a highly respected and well-run company with an excellent fleet and customer value proposition. Its dedicated talents are well regarded both internally and externally. CMA CGM is a good fit for Mercosul and we are confident that they will continue to develop the company going forward.”

 

The parties have decided not to publicly disclose the price of the sale.