HAMBURG (dpa-AFX) - In a hearing of the Hamburg Parliament, experts have expressed some considerable reservations about the entry of the world's largest shipping company MSC into the port logistics company HHLA. In Wednesday's joint meeting of the Committee for Public Enterprises and the Economic Committee, which lasted several hours, the question was raised several times as to whether it would not make more sense for the shipping company to simply acquire a stake in a terminal instead of MSC's planned investment in HHLA itself. Experts were also at least skeptical about the co-determination guaranteed in the Senate's printed matter and the lack of a market value appraisal. However, there were also experts who saw nothing wrong with the deal and saw it as an opportunity for more cargo and growth in the Port of Hamburg.

The experts were asked to explain the advantages and disadvantages of the deal and help the MPs make a decision when parliament is expected to make a final decision on the deal at the end of May. Hamburg's red-green Senate wants to bring the Geneva-based Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) on board with Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) in order to stabilize container handling. The city and the company, which is owned by the Italian shipping family Aponte, are to run HHLA as a joint venture in future, with the city holding a majority of 50.1 percent. To date, the city has owned around 70 percent of HHLA, which is listed on the stock exchange. There is considerable resistance, particularly from the Verdi trade union and HHLA employees./klm/DP/nas