Germany is considering to restrict foreign investment particulary foreign acquisitions including the maritime industry product of the latest acquisitions by China. The nation imposes pressure on the European community for its urgent consideration.
It started with the request to investigate the acquisition of 15% of a defense and security technology company, assured the German economy ministry. Now the European Union will consider the possibility of establishing a participation limit of 15% instead of the current 25%.
In the Maritime industry
The European maritime transport industry has closely followed the acquisitions of maritime companies, in particular state ones, carried out by COSCO CL, the Chinese government maritime line. In the EU, the concern that China could take control or influence private defense and security companies was the trigger, but it would move to our industry.
China is one of the largest buyers of raw materials, the world’s manufacturing, having in its state power one of the largest shipping companies in the world and which has subsequently made port acquisitions abroad could have setbacks in the European Union. Essentially, its horizontal integration plan to control the most important route of containerized traffic and its scope in the supply chain can be checked with possible regulations that in turn could trigger considerations in other continents or countries.
This measure seeks to stop the strategy of the Asian giant, which controls 40% of the capacity of shipbuilding and had announced to invest USD 20 billion in financing for ships in 2018. Additionally, the acquisition of participation and / or control of ports in Belgium, Greece, Indonesia, Brazil and Lithuania.
