The Competition Commission of South Africa said a merger between NYK, MOL and "K" Line would encourage anti-competitive behavior in the liner markets and the car carrier sector.

Hapag-Lloyd, which finalized its merger with United Arab Shipping Co. in May, is basing its Middle East head office at the Dubai International Financial Center.

The Ocean Network Express - consisting of Japanese ocean carriers “K” Line, MOL and NYK - will have a containership fleet of close to 1.4 million TEUs when it launches, giving it about a 7 percent market share based on today’s fleet, according to Drewry.

The French ocean liner has announced its intention to acquire Brazilian cabotage company Mercosul Line, currently owned by Maersk Line but up for sale as a condition of its merger with Hamburg Sud, by the end of 2017.

Germany’s largest ocean carrier, Hapag-Lloyd, said it is confident it will be able to ensure a complete integration with Kuwait-based carrier United Arab Shipping Co. (UASC) by the fourth quarter of 2017.