News / DP World buys 47,000 teu of containers to boost 'end-to-end' ambitions

In a bid to move ever-closer to its shipper clients, DP World has acquired 47,000 teu of containers, but this may eventually threaten relationships with its terminal customers.

The port behemoth announced its first purchase of containers this morning, saying the deal would increase its “ability to respond quickly and flexibly to customer needs”.

Global COO of marine services Ganesh Raj added: “In today’s increasingly complex and competitive commercial environment, supply chains are under growing pressure. This injection of 47,000 teu into the ecosystem of DP World-owned assets will help our customers access the capacity they need, safe in the knowledge that their goods will be moved from end to end with a single partner.”

Details of how and where this new box capacity will be deployed was not made public, but it comes on the back of a busy year for DP World.

In March, it announced the launch of a global forwarding network, following this up with the acquisition of Hong Kong forwarder Cargo Services Far East in September, as part of its plan to operate more than 200 forwarding offices globally.

Asked whether the new boxes would be a boost for DP World’s forwarding division, a source in the shipping sector told The Loadstar: “I don’t see why it wouldn’t be.

“As to where I think it will deploy these boxes, I would guess the bulk of them will go to Unifeeder, covering its domestic trades, with maybe a few going out to NVOCC operators.

“It may also be considering launching its own NVOCC business, but it would find itself directly competing with its terminal customers.”

The source also noted that the ambitious DP World had last December also launched an airfreight operation with an air cargo logistics hub at the Dominican Republic’s Punta Cana International Airport.

Back in 2022, DP World UK CEO Ernst Schulze told The Loadstar Podcast the terminal operator was then no longer “looking at only one part of the supply chain”.

He added: “We are really looking at where does the cargo come from, what are all the different steps within the supply chain, and where can we provide the service?”