Today is deadline day for interested parties to submit bids for HMM, South Korea’s flagship carrier.
As well as four Korean firms vying for control of the line, formerly known as Hyundai Merchant Marine, one famous foreign company has asked for a sales prospectus. Hamburg-based Hapag-Lloyd has emerged as an interested party to take over HMM, both companies being members of THE Alliance, a grouping of global liners.
State-backed entities announced they would sell their majority shareholding in HMM last month.
Splash has already reported on two conglomerates with shipowning subsidiaries keen to take over HMM: Harim Group, which controls Pan Ocean, and SM Group, which owns SM Line.
Also in the mix for HMM are LX Holdings and Dongwon Group, Korean firms with interests in logistics.
State-run banks, which have been in control of HMM since 2016, hope to complete the sale of the famous shipping line by the end of this year.
