Israel: Hapag-Lloyd's buyout of Zim now includes a direct line to the Far East
Under a revised offer of 4.2 billion dollars disclosed on 27 September 2026, German carrier Hapag-Lloyd, together with Israeli fund FIMI Opportunity Funds, proposes taking over carrier Zim while adding a weekly direct link with the Far East, which was absent from its initial offer.
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Hapag-Lloyd revised its offer to acquire Israeli shipping carrier Zim, raising it to 4.2 billion dollars, by partnering with Israeli investment fund FIMI Opportunity Funds, led by Ishay Davidi, which would retain a minority stake in the new structure. The deal, targeted for completion by the end of 2026, still requires a full revised framework, which Hapag-Lloyd has committed to submitting within 45 days of late September 2026.
Founded in 1945, Zim serves more than 90 countries and claims more than 33,000 customers; according to reported terms of the deal, around 98% of Israeli imports, including essential supplies, depend on international sea transport. It is this strategic weight that explains the attention paid to the terms of the revised offer.
What is new in this revised offer is the addition of a weekly direct link to the Far East, whereas the initial proposal limited the new entity's services to the Atlantic and Mediterranean routes. The resulting structure, named New Zim, would keep a fleet of 12 to 16 vessels to serve world trade bound for Israel.
What it changes for an importer
For an importer bringing goods from China to Israel, whether or not a regular direct line to the Far East is included in the future Zim-Hapag-Lloyd set-up weighs directly on lead times and the transport options available, particularly if the trade diversions linked to tensions in the Red Sea continue. Sorva follows this matter for its clients shipping to Haifa or Ashdod, in order to adjust the choice of carrier and route once the new service offer is known.
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