News / CLdN set to acquire Samskip's UK and Ireland services

The TMA terminal in Amsterdam

Shortsea and multimodal operator CLdN is set to acquire Samskip’s UK and Ireland door-to-door and quay-to-quay cargo business.

Samskip is looking to refocus on its long-distance multimodal network across the Baltics, Europe, and North Africa.

Samskip’ CEO Ólafur Orri Ólafsson said he was “confident” that handing over responsibility for its UK and Ireland trade would secure the “continuity and high service levels” its customers expected.

“It will allow us to focus on the key strategic markets of the future, where we will continue to invest in our organisation and further develop our longer-distance trades where we deliver the most value to our customers,” Mr Ólafsson added.

“Selling the UK and Ireland trades to a strong partner will secure the continuation of this trade and guarantee a high coverage for our customers in the respective markets.”

No financial details of the transaction have been announced, but once the deal has been finalised, CLdN will take on services between Rotterdam and UK ports Belfast, Blyth, Grangemouth, Hull and Tilbury, and those into the Irish ports of Cork, Dublin and Waterford currently operated by Samskip.

CLdN CEO Florent Maes said: “This transaction is highly complementary to CLdN’s shipping and multimodal activities. Customers will benefit from an even broader array of options and enhanced door-to-door equipment and services.

“CLdN has a long history of connecting mainland Europe with the UK and Irish markets and we look forward to further developing these reliable, flexible and environmentally efficient connections through this acquisition.”