Boluda buys Netherlands' Samskip to build Europe's leading short-sea shipping network
What's the deal? Spain's Boluda Shipping has agreed to acquire Dutch logistics firm Samskip in full, including all its assets and operations. The deal value was not disclosed. The combined company would link northern Europe with the Iberian peninsula, the Canary Islands, and West Africa.
What's the endgame? Boluda wants to lead European short-sea shipping. The merged network is expected to span 28 countries, with 32 ships running 18 routes, plus 21 maritime terminals, five rail terminals, and more than 500 owned trucks.
What's the scale? The network is projected to handle 35,000 containers, an annual logistics volume above 750,000 TEU. Boluda brings maritime towage, container shipping, and port logistics; Samskip adds multimodal expertise and client relationships across northern Europe.
Why now? The move follows Samskip's February 2026 sale of its UK–Ireland freight business to CLdNDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, which let it focus on its wider European, Nordic, Baltic, and North African network. Boluda, which opened offices in Rotterdam in June, has been expanding in northern Europe for years through its towage and shipping operations. The two already ran joint services in Spain.
What they said: "We have a clear vision: to lead European short sea shipping and make our network a competitive advantage for the companies that trust us," said Ignacio Boluda Ceballos, executive chairman of Boluda Shipping (translated from Spanish). Samskip chief executive officer Ólafur Orri Ólafsson called the firms "two family companies with a long track record in transport, shared values, and a long-term vision."
What could go wrong? The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval and agreed closing conditions. It is expected to close on January 1, 2027.
The signal: The deal reunites a large slice of Samskip's short-sea footprint with Boluda's southern European, Canary Islands, and West African routes, reflecting continued consolidation across European sea, rail, and road freight as operators chase greater geographic reach and scale.
Read more: expansion.com
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
