Boluda Shipping and Samskip have signed an agreement under which Boluda Shipping will acquire Samskip. The transaction is expected to close on 1 January 2027, subject to approval by the relevant authorities and fulfilment of the agreed closing conditions.
The companies say the acquisition “will pave the way for Europe’s most comprehensive short-sea shipping network, connecting Northern Europe with the Iberian Peninsula, the Canary Islands and West Africa”. The two family-owned businesses already have an established relationship through their joint services in Spain.
Boluda brings a strong position in towage, an established container shipping business and expertise in port logistics. Samskip contributes its established position in Northern Europe, multimodal expertise, extensive customer relationships and knowledge of the markets it serves. “The combined network will connect maritime, rail and road transport, with terminals playing a key role in coordinating the movement of goods across the logistics chain,” the companies said.
Following completion, the combined network is expected to comprise 32 vessels operating on 18 routes and connecting markets in 28 countries. Its 21 maritime terminals will link these routes and bring maritime and land transport services closer to major centres of production and consumption. The network will also include five rail terminals and more than 500 company-owned trucks. The combined operation is expected to handle 35,000 containers and generate annual logistics throughput of more than 750,000 TEU.
Boluda Shipping also intends to invest in the combined network to strengthen capacity, expand connections and lay the foundations for further growth for both companies and their customers.
The acquisition builds on Boluda’s expansion in Northern Europe, where the group has maintained a strong presence for several years through Boluda Towage’s harbour towage operations and Boluda Shipping’s maritime transport and logistics activities. The opening of new offices in Rotterdam last June further reinforced this commitment. Rotterdam is also a key operational hub for Samskip, which is headquartered in the Netherlands. The acquisition is expected to make Rotterdam a strategic location for developing and coordinating services across the combined network.
Ólafur Orri Ólafsson will remain CEO of Samskip. Until the transaction closes, the two companies will continue to operate independently and in accordance with applicable requirements.