Hapag-Lloyd Aktiengesellschaft (XTRA:HLAG) has withdrawn from the bidding process to acquire a stake in South Korean rival Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM), news agency dpa-AFX reported, citing a statement of Hapag-Lloyd?s CEO Rolf Habben Jansen.b. Hapag-Lloyd would have been a good partner for HMM, but the South Korean company has now decided to pursue its goals with other parties, the CEO said on September 04, 2023. According to the article, Hapag-Lloyd aimed at buying a 38.9% stake in HMM from local banks Korea Development Bank (KDB) and Korea Ocean Business Co (KOBC). Jansen did not disclose the reasons for withdrawing from the process.

According to an unnamed logistics expert cited by German paper Bild, the progress of foreign buyers in the bidding rounds could lead to their insight into HMM's sensitive information. That is why the last three bidders remaining in the race are from South Korea. These include fishing company Dongwon, agri-food firm Harim and trading conglomerate LX Holdings.