German heavyweights Komrowski and Erck Rickmers have confirmed plans to merge in a move with has created the country’s largest shipping company by fleet capacity in a single pen stroke.

The plot, first uncovered by TradeWinds yesterday, could be followed by further growth with the new allies keen to attract additional partners.

Ernst Peter Komrowski, owner of the Komrowski Group, said in a statement: “This alliance is the continuation of an old Hanseatic tradition: different companies pool their strengths in order to confront the challenges of a difficult market environment with a joint strategy.”

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