Hamburg Süd has taken delivery of more than 8,000 new containers from Maersk Container Industry in Dongguan.

The new containers feature a red exterior and white lettering consistent with the branding of the company and are coated with a special water-based, environmentally friendly paint.

“This batch of red containers is a sign of our appreciation for the strong Hamburg Süd brand and a very tangible example of how we will continue to invest in it, strengthening our separate value propositions,” said Søren Toft, chief operating officer of A.P. Moller-Maersk and member of the advisory board at Hamburg Süd.

According to Hamburg Süd, the batch of new containers is part of a larger order by Maersk Line. The container pools of both carriers are expected to be merged in the second quarter of 2018, creating the largest container fleet in the liner shipping industry serving customers of both carriers. This will include a fleet of more than 350,000 reefer units.

“The new red containers made by MCI are an important statement to our customers that Hamburg Süd will keep serving their logistical needs in the well-known manner – just like we always have,” said Arnt Vespermann, CEO of Hamburg Süd. “If customers work with Hamburg Süd, they will talk to the same sales and customer service staff, and they will enjoy the same high level of cargo expertise and swift exception handling as before.”