CMA CGM acquires Mercosul from Maersk Line
CMA CGM and Maersk Line 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.
Rodolphe Saadé, Chief Executive Officer of CMA CGM: “The acquisition of Mercosul represents a milestone in our 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.”