Germany intends to block sale of logistics firm to China's Cosco, newspaper reports

Key Takeaways

• The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) has raised security concerns over Cosco’s growing strategic footprint in German hinterland logistics, warning of ‘cumulative acquisition schemes’ in its Investitionsprüfverfahren review (handelsblatt.com).
• Although the Bundeskartellamt had already approved Cosco’s planned 80% acquisition of Zippel, the final decision rests with the German cabinet, which now intends to block the deal based on security risks (handelsblatt.com).
• Zippel, a traditional Hamburg-based logistics operator with around 350 employees, handles container transport between northern German ports and inland regions; its sale has met political resistance, with even the company’s leadership arguing it isn’t critical infrastructure (handelsblatt.com).