Port of Hamburg: Federal government stops Chinese takeover of logistics company Zippel

The federal government has banned a takeover of the Hamburg logistics company Zippel by the Chinese state shipping company Cosco due to security concerns. This was announced by a spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Economics. The federal cabinet voted to prevent the sale of 80 percent of Zippel's shares to Cosco.

The reason given was that the acquisition would have deepened dependencies and endangered the resilience of supply chains in Germany and the EU. As Europe's largest economy, Germany welcomes foreign investments. At the same time, there could be investments that endanger the country's security. The federal government examines an average of around 300 employment cases every year. So far, a purchase ban has been issued in a total of eight cases, said the spokesman.

In February, the Federal Cartel Office announced that the major shipping company Cosco would be allowed to take over 80 percent of Zippel's shares from a competition perspective. At the end of April, however, it became known that the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution had concerns about the takeover.

In September, the Handelsblatt quoted from a government document that the acquisition of Zippel would strengthen China's strategic influence on Germany and the European transport infrastructure. Despite small market shares, Zippel is considered an established player with market knowledge that has developed over decades. The company is also important for the logistical support of the Bundeswehr.

Zippel operates at the Port of Hamburg and specializes in transporting container freight, primarily from the North Sea ports of Hamburg and Bremerhaven, to Eastern Germany by truck and rail. Against this background, logistics to the German eastern border is also important for NATO in an emergency, Handelsblatt reported, citing information from the Defense Ministry. “Elements of the European transport infrastructure influenced by China would not be available, or at least not fully available, in the event of a conflict or crisis,” warns the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, according to the report.

Specifically, the fears are about a scenario in which China attacks the democratic island state of Taiwan and the federal government could impose sanctions in response. If Cosco then plays an important role in the German logistics chains, the company could interrupt transports and thus exert political pressure, as Russia did in the past with its gas deliveries.