Gianluigi Aponte’s MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company is said to be in negotiations to buy Brazilian shipping, ports and shipyard group Wilson Sons.
The Swiss shipping giant’s reported transaction could be worth BRL 5bn ($1bn), the Brazilian daily O Globo said.
Wilsons Sons has a history going back nearly 200 years.
A takeover would be MSC’s second in Brazil in recent years, following the acquisition of shipping line and terminals company Log-In Logistica in 2021.
Ocean Wilsons, a controlling shareholder of Sao Paolo-listed Wilson Sons, released a statement confirming that all potential strategic options are being explored during a review.
But it said the process remains in its early stages and the outcome is uncertain.
Ocean Wilsons said it had not yet received “any formal proposals” for its 57% stake in Wilson Sons.
Wilson Sons stock rose 12% following the report and has gained 75% in a year.
MSC has been contacted for comment.
Wilsons Sons has 80 tugs and one of the largest offshore support vessel fleets in the country.
It controls two container terminals, a logistics centre and a ship agency business.
Its shipyard has built more than 135 vessels in the past 30 years, including platform supply vessels, tugs, oil spill response ships and patrol vessels.
The Log-In takeover saw MSC add a fleet of seven container ships ranging from 1,674 teu to 2,758 teu.
Log-In operates its fleet mostly on Brazilian coastal services, as well as to Argentina and Uruguay.
