Major Hapag-Lloyd shareholder Klaus-Michael Kuhne has confirmed an approach for the company by CMA CGM.

The logistics billionaire, with about 25% of the company, was cited by the NDR website as telling shareholders at its annual general meeting: "We do not want to be taken over by the French. At best, we want to take over the French."

But to do this, he said that a little more money must come into the cash register, to applause from investors.