Did You Know That…

…Hapag-Lloyd confirms $4bn takeover of Zim.

·German carrier announces it has reached an agreement to purchase Israeli carrier Zim

·Israeli financial investor FIMI partners on the deal and will take over a carved‑out Israeli liner business under the Zim brand, while Hapag-Lloyd absorbs Zim’s global operations and chartered fleet

·Acquisition will cement Hapag-Lloyd’s position as the world’s fifth-biggest carrier, while MSC loses out on network sharing with Zim

·Union workers oppose the acquisition on the risk of layoffs, with a government block possible.

Hapag-Lloyd has signed a binding $4bn agreement to acquire Zim, confirming one of the biggest consolidation moves in container shipping in years and paving the way for a major restructuring of Israel’s national carrier, with FIMI set to assume control of a new Israeli liner entity as the German line absorbs Zim’s global operations.

Attached find the notification letter sent to their clients.

 

…Israel's ZIM workers ramp up strike in protest over Hapag-Lloyd takeover. Workers at ZIM Integrated Shipping Services have escalated strike action in Israel in response to the planned takeover by Hapag-Lloyd AG, raising questions about job security and the structure of the combined business. About 800 of ZIM’s roughly 1,000 unionised employees walked off the job on 15 February at the company’s headquarters in Haifa following news of the proposed $4.2 billion acquisition by Hapag-Lloyd.

…Pre-Chinese New Year ‘rush’ ends in disappointment for container lines

·Asia-US spot rates have fallen by around 20%-30% since early January

·Asia-US west coast demand looks particularly weak; unlike in other mainline trades, US west coast liner capacity has not significantly increased

·National Retail Federation predicts lower US imports in 1H26 vs 1H25.

The seasonal upswing before Chinese New Year turned out to be weaker than usual in the transpacific, and rates peaked six weeks before the holiday lull in all major east-west lanes.

…Asia-Europe box trade imbalance grows ever wider as China’s exports surge

·The Europe-Asia backhaul trade has slumped to one of its weakest points on record due to a widening structural imbalance between booming Asia-Europe headhaul volumes and shrinking eastbound cargoes

·Freight rates have slumped, vessel utilisation continues to fall and service levels have deteriorated sharply

·Since 2020, eastbound volumes have fallen 27%, while headhaul traffic has surged 26%, forcing ever increasing empty container repositioning.

Eastbound sailings on the Asia-Europe trade are barely one-third full while rates are anchored at marginal cost or below.

…Why the Gulf’s most powerful countries are at odds. A feud between Saudi Arabia and the UAE will have far-reaching consequences. The language of diplomats is polite. That is especially true for those who speak Arabic, a tongue inclined towards courtesies and honorifics. In December the Saudi foreign ministry issued a five-paragraph statement that used the term shaqiqa (“brotherly”) four times in reference to the United Arab Emirates (uae). The fraternal tone was rather at odds with the subject matter: the kingdom had just bombed an Emirati weapons shipment in Yemen and was accusing the uae of threatening its national security. Almost two months later, no one is bothering with such niceties. The Gulf’s biggest powers are mired in a worsening spat. Top officials barely speak. State-backed propagandists have been unleashed to attack each other. The feud has reshaped the war in Yemen and complicated cross-border business.

 

… APM Terminals and Eurogate plan to invest one billion euros in the modernization of the North Sea Terminal Bremerhaven to enhance its efficiency and competitiveness.

 

…Trump administration releases Maritime Action Plan aimed at resurrecting US shipbuilding. Last week The Trump administration  released its plan to rebuild U.S. shipbuilding and other maritime businesses, paid for in part by port fees on cargo delivered to the United States on ships made in China - levies the U.S. and China agreed to pause for one year. The Maritime Action Plan offers a road map for the revival of U.S. shipbuilding, which has shrunk since World War Two and now severely lags China and other nations.

 

…Maersk has announced an increase in its peak season surcharge (PSS) for cargo moving from China and Hong Kong to Kenya, citing sustained demand and tightening vessel space on the trade lane.

DP World chief Bin Sulayem resigns following Epstein files revelations. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem transformed DP World from a UAE port operator into a global supply chain integrator, but he exits amid a growing scandal over his links to Jeffrey Epstein.

…The Horse gallops — but towards what?. This year will see the further unfolding of multiple geopolitical flashpoints — wars, sanctions, tariffs, the Red Sea and shipping’s green struggle. Shipping loves disruption. The Year of the Horse promises plenty — but hopefully not too much.

…Following our announcement of 5 new members last week, you can find the latest update of our memberslist in attached sheet for your easy reference.

 

…Addicted to your phone? Try “bricking” it. New devices are cementing youngsters’ desire for digital detoxes

Reviewers declare that “the Brick changed my life” and “I won the war against my phone.” The grey cube, which costs $59 and is about the size of an AirPods case, claims to reduce screen time by three hours a day on average. To use the device, you choose the apps you would like to disable and touch your phone to the “brick”. When you are ready, you can tap your phone against it to “unbrick”.

The Brick has built up a following, especially among people aged 20-35. Downloads of the Brick app in January were up nearly 600% year on year, to 170,000, estimates Sensor Tower, a research firm.

…“Flying” electric boats could remake urban transport. The convergence of three technologies has made possible the reinvention of the hydrofoil. THE CANDELA C-8 looks like a minimalist speedboat as it bobs in the water on a snowy morning in Stockholm. Powered by electricity, rather than a noisy outboard motor, it is eerily quiet as it pulls away from the dock. But once the boat reaches open water and starts to pick up speed, something extraordinary happens: it takes off. The hull lifts entirely out of the water, until it is flying, half a metre above the surface, supported by three thin, red struts.

 

…America’s hottest grocery store is also its priciest. Erewhon is testing just how much wealthy shoppers will pay for chicken soup. In the past few years Erewhon, a micro-chain of ten stores around LA, has emerged as the grocer of choice for celebrities from Hailey Bieber to the Kardashians. Social media is flooded with posts about its products, which include chicken-noodle soup ($16.50), a strawberry smoothie ($21) and sea-moss gel ($44).Erewhon has humble roots. It was founded in the 1960s in Boston by a Japanese couple who were devotees of the “macrobiotic” movement, which encourages followers to eat the simplest foods.

…Among drooping sales, Heineken said it would cut 6,000 jobs, or about 7% of its global workforce, over two years.

 

…A study by the University at Buffalo found that having a pet can have a more positive effect on the heart and circulation than being married. Researchers observed that pet owners showed lower stress levels and more stable cardiovascular responses – especially in challenging situations.

 

Wishing you all a very good rest of the week !

 

…This DYKT news bulletin will be published on the website as well, go to www.eaanetwork.com.