Swiss shipping and logistics giant Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has acquired a 51% stake in the TIS container terminal at Ukraine’s Port of Pivdennyi, according to market sources.
The transaction marks the first known case of a global container shipping line directly investing in the equity of a Ukrainian container terminal.
While the value of the deal has not been disclosed, industry observers describe it as one of the largest transactions in Ukraine’s transport sector in the past decade.
The investment follows MSC’s continued expansion beyond container shipping into port infrastructure, inland logistics and multimodal transport. The company operates a fleet of more than 1,000 vessels with combined capacity exceeding 7 million TEU and serves over 500 ports worldwide.
TIS, founded in 1994, is Ukraine’s largest private port operator by cargo throughput. Operating within the Port of Pivdennyi near Odesa, the group manages six specialised terminals along with rail infrastructure and its own tug fleet.
The deal comes only months after DP World exited the Ukrainian container terminal market by selling its 51% stake in the same facility, with TIS regaining full control before MSC’s entry.
Market participants say the transaction could signal renewed international confidence in Ukraine’s maritime infrastructure and potentially attract additional foreign investment into the country’s port and logistics sector.
