The European Commission (EC) has approved CMA CGM’s proposed acquisition of Bolloré Logistics, subject to conditions.

ship op - CMA

Source: CMA CGM

France-headquartered container shipping specialist CMA CGM announced its intention to acquire compatriot forwarder Bolloré Logistics in April 2023. The EC’s investigation showed that the merger, as initially notified, would have reduced competition for ocean freight forwarding services in Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana. The deal would have created vertical links between CMA CGM’s upstream container lining shipping activities on routes connecting Europe with Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana and Bolloré Logistics’ downstream ocean freight forwarding activities in those territories.

To address the EC’s competition concerns, the parties offered to divest all of Bolloré Logistics’ activities in Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Martin, and French Guiana, as well as a number of assets in metropolitan France linked to these activities.

The decision to approve the merger is conditional upon full compliance with the commitments. Under supervision of the EC, an independent trustee will monitor their implementation.

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