De Jong Shipping Expands Inland Shipping Reach with Strategic Investment
Dutch maritime operator De Jong Shipping Group has acquired a minority stake in Belgian inland shipping company TransMatch, marking its first structural move into the Belgian market and strengthening its position in the inland waterways sector.
Strategic Partnership
The investment forms part of De Jong’s strategy to expand its inland shipping activities and increase its commercial reach across Northwest Europe.
The deal brings together two family-owned businesses with complementary operations. De Jong has built a strong position in push-barge transport, while TransMatch specialises in vessel operations and has developed an extensive network across Belgium, the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) region, northern France and parts of the Rhine and Moselle river systems.
Benefits of the Partnership
- Strengthening market positions
- Broadening the range of cargo flows and regions served
- Creating operational synergies by combining push-barge and vessel capabilities
- Providing customers with greater flexibility and allowing cargoes to be handled more efficiently
According to both companies, the growing owned fleet controlled by TransMatch should also help provide greater pricing stability in a market often characterised by fluctuating freight rates and changing cargo demand.