Mediterranean Shipping Co. is discussing the possible acquisition of the roughly 80% stake in Meyer Werft owned by Germany's federal government and the state of Lower Saxony, Bloomberg News reported Sunday, citing people familiar with the talks. The negotiations remain preliminary and could end without an agreement, and other bidders also may emerge. Any transaction would include Meyer Werft's shipyards in Papenburg and Rostock. The two governments invested €400 million ($459 million) in Meyer Werft and provided €2.6 billion in credit after the pandemic weakened the company's finances, and officials reportedly want to recover at least their equity investment in a sale. MSC Cruises is Meyer Werft's biggest customer, and the companies reached a preliminary agreement last year covering four new vessels and options for two more, potentially worth as much as €10 billion, with deliveries expected to begin in 2030. Meyer Werft also builds ships for Carnival and Royal Caribbean Cruises, employs about 5,000 people, and its regional supply chain supports more than 20,000 additional jobs.
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Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd