An Israeli containership operator is daring to attempt what no mainstream shipowner has done in the US in more than five years – successfully sell an initial public offering.

Qualities unique to the Zim Integrated Shipping Services offering present a plausible argument that it could end shipping’s slump, sources familiar with the deal told TradeWinds.

These include momentum from a red-hot containership market, a business model that relies on chartering rather than owning ships, the scale of a multi-billion dollar company and a novel place as a US-listed liner operator.