Maersk expands port network with 50+ terminal acquisitions

A.P. Moller Capital, the infrastructure investment arm of Denmark's Maersk shipping group, is substantially expanding its port terminal footprint through two major acquisitions: a full acquisition of Singapore-based Portek International from Mitsui & Co. and a majority stake in European operator Euroports. These deals, announced in late September and October, will give the group control of over 50 terminals across three continents, adding significant capacity in container, bulk, breakbulk, and multipurpose cargo operations.

The Portek acquisition adds seven geographically dispersed terminals across Africa, Asia, and Europe, including operations in Algeria, Gabon, Indonesia, Latvia, Malta, and Vietnam. The Euroports transaction is more substantial, bringing majority ownership of a network exceeding 50 deep-sea and inland terminals across 10 European countries plus China, handling over 70 million metric tons of cargo annually. This concentration of infrastructure assets under a single investment manager represents a structural shift in how essential trade routes are managed and financed.

For supply chain professionals, these acquisitions signal Maersk's confidence in long-term trade growth and its strategy to capture value across the logistics chain beyond ocean shipping. The expansion also highlights the growing importance of infrastructure investment in securing resilient, diversified supply networks. Companies should monitor how these terminal networks are optimized and whether new service offerings emerge that could affect routing decisions, port charges, and service reliability.