MSC looks at possible takeover of Meyer Werft

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) is considering buying about 80% of German cruise shipbuilder Meyer Werft, The Maritime Telegraph reports, citing Bloomberg and German media. The stake is currently owned by the German federal government and the state of Lower Saxony. Talks are still at an early stage, and no deal has been reached.

The possible deal would include the Meyer Werft shipyards in Papenburg and Rostock, while the Meyer family would keep its share of just under 20%. Germany and Lower Saxony invested €400 million in the company in 2024 as part of a rescue package that also included €2.6 billion in credit facilities.

MSC already has close ties with the shipbuilder. In 2025, MSC Cruises signed a letter of intent for four new-generation cruise ships from Meyer Werft, with options for two more. Deliveries are planned from 2030, which could keep the Papenburg yard busy with MSC ships until 2035.

Meyer Werft employs about 5,000 people directly, with more than 20,000 regional jobs linked to the company and its suppliers. The possible takeover would further expand MSC’s business beyond container shipping. The group is also discussing a possible takeover of Romania’s Mangalia shipyard with Rheinmetall.

 

Picture: Meyer Werft