Boluda Shipping Expands Its Reach into Morocco with Samskip Acquisition
In a significant development for the maritime transport sector, Spanish shipping company Boluda Shipping, part of the renowned Boluda family group, finalized an acquisition agreement on October 28, 2026, to purchase the Dutch logistics firm Samskip. This strategic move is set to enhance Boluda's presence in Morocco, particularly through the operation of a weekly refrigerated container line that connects Agadir with Rotterdam and the United Kingdom. The acquisition is expected to close by January 1, 2027, pending approval from relevant authorities and the resolution of certain conditions.
This acquisition will integrate Agadir's shipping services into Boluda's existing operations, which already include towing services in Tanger Med and Nador West Med. Furthermore, Boluda has partnered with Marsa Maroc, which is projected to hold a 45% stake in Boluda's Spanish terminals. The expanded network will comprise 32 vessels across eighteen routes servicing 28 countries, supported by 21 maritime terminals, five rail terminals, and a fleet of over 500 trucks. Boluda Shipping aims to enhance its operational capacity, with a target traffic volume exceeding 750,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually. The new logistics network will bridge Northern Europe with the Iberian Peninsula, the Canary Islands, and West Africa.
Transition of Agadir Line and Future Prospects
The transition of the Agadir shipping line is particularly noteworthy, as Samskip initially launched this service in November 2025 using the container ship _Samskip Toubkal_. This seasonal weekly service connects Agadir and Casablanca to the UK and Rotterdam, with transit times recorded at five and a half days from Agadir and seven and a half days from Casablanca during its inaugural season. For the upcoming 2026-2027 fruit and vegetable season, Samskip has scheduled weekly rotations from Agadir, including a stop at the Matrans terminal in Rotterdam, with extended rail and road connections to Belgium and Germany.
Utilizing 45-foot refrigerated containers equipped with controlled atmosphere technology, Samskip is capable of preserving produce for up to 45 days while promising Moroccan exporters a reduction in CO₂ emissions of up to 80% compared to road transport. The partnership between Samskip and Boluda brings together two family-owned enterprises with extensive experience in transport, shared values, and a long-term vision. Ólafur Orri Ólafsson, CEO of Samskip, will retain his position under the new management structure, ensuring that the Samskip brand and its Icelandic roots remain integral to the combined entity.
Moreover, this acquisition will bolster Boluda's commercial network, which has been linked to Marsa Maroc since December 2025 through an agreement allowing its subsidiary, Marsa Maroc International Logistics (MMIL), to hold a 45% stake in Boluda Maritime Terminals (BMT) for an investment of €80 million (approximately 879.2 million dirhams). Boluda's port division processed over one million TEUs across its nine terminals in the Canary Islands and Spain in 2024, serving as strategic points for eleven maritime routes to the Canary Islands, the Balearics, Northern Europe, Italy, West Africa, and Cape Verde.
The Moroccan government had previously authorized this stake acquisition, as outlined in decree n° 2.26.265 on April 2, 2026, while the transaction awaited final approval from Madrid as of late September. With this strategic investment, Marsa Maroc highlighted its extensive network of 34 terminals across 20 ports, enhancing its presence on both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar. Additionally, Boluda Maritime Terminals secured a 16-year concession for the multipurpose terminal at the Príncep d'Espanya quay in Barcelona, committing to a minimum traffic volume of 1.3 million tons annually between 2028 and 2032, leveraging its Moroccan partner to attract fresh product flows.
Boluda has long been established in Moroccan ports, particularly in towing services, having provided two new tugboats, _VB Azla_ and _VB Amsa_, to the port of Tanger Med in March 2025. The joint venture West Med Towage, with Boluda Towage France holding a 51% stake and Marsa Maroc 49%, received a 20-year authorization for towing and assistance at Nador West Med starting in the last quarter of 2026, with a budget of €36.5 million (approximately 401.14 million dirhams) allocated for acquiring four additional tugboats. Boluda has been operating a container line between the Canary Islands and Agadir since 2000, which was later extended to Laâyoune and Dakhla in southern Morocco, further solidifying its operational footprint in the region.
With Rotterdam serving as the headquarters for Samskip and as a coordination hub for the new entity, the acquisition highlights the synergies between the two firms, especially after Samskip had sold its freight operations in the UK and Ireland to Luxembourg-based CLdN in February. This strategic partnership is poised to yield significant benefits for both companies and the broader maritime transport industry.
As reported by barlamane.com.
