en.Wedoany.com Reported - Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) recently pledged to increase container throughput at the Port of Hamburg to 1 million TEUs annually by 2031, achieving a doubling target, and will inject 450 million euros into Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) for this purpose. The investment plan also includes establishing a new German headquarters in Hamburg.

As part of the equity restructuring, HHLA is proceeding to buy out remaining minority shareholders. On June 11, HHLA's Annual General Meeting will formally approve a "squeeze-out" measure to compulsorily acquire shares held by minority shareholders. Affected shareholders will receive compensation of 21 euros per share, a price over 25% higher than the initial 16.75 euros per share proposed by MSC in 2023. Currently, the Hamburg Port Investment Company, a joint venture between the City of Hamburg and MSC, controls over 95% of HHLA shares, meeting the statutory threshold for compulsory delisting.

This equity restructuring was initiated several months ago. In September 2024, the Hamburg State Parliament approved MSC's stake acquisition, followed by clearance from the European Commission. Under the final agreement, the City of Hamburg holds 50.1% of the company's shares, while MSC holds 49.9%. As a condition, MSC committed to substantial capital investment to modernize port operations and increase throughput.

The 450 million euro injection will strengthen HHLA's capital base, helping the terminal operator remain competitive in the global container shipping sector. If achieved, MSC's goal of doubling throughput within seven years would reshape the Port of Hamburg's position in the European logistics landscape. For minority shareholders, the compensation of 21 euros per share marks the end of their involvement. Although some original investors question whether this valuation fully reflects the company's long-term potential under the new joint venture structure, the compulsory squeeze-out clears legal obstacles for the City of Hamburg and MSC to operate HHLA without interference from minority shareholders.

According to data released by the Port of Hamburg, total container throughput reached 8.3 million TEUs in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 7.3% (compared to 7.8 million TEUs in 2024); container throughput by tonnage increased by 4.6%.

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