IN Brief:
- Rhenus has acquired the remaining 49% stake in LBH Global Agencies.
- LBH operates port agency services in 24 countries for bulk, liquid, containerised, and general cargo.
- The deal deepens Rhenus’ maritime logistics position and supports more integrated port-to-supply-chain services.
Rhenus has completed the acquisition of the remaining 49% stake in LBH Global Agencies, taking full ownership of the port agency business and expanding its maritime logistics network.
The transaction follows the strategic partnership established between Rhenus and LBH in 2023. Rhenus has now acquired the remaining shares from the Lagendijk family, making LBH a wholly owned subsidiary. LBH will continue to operate under its existing brand while becoming part of Rhenus’ wider maritime structure.
LBH Group provides port agency services across 24 countries, supporting vessels carrying bulk, liquid, containerised, and general cargo. The acquisition strengthens Rhenus’ position in maritime and port logistics, adding agency capability that can be connected more closely with the group’s broader logistics network.
Port agency sits at a critical point in industrial supply chains. It connects shipping lines, charterers, cargo owners, terminal operators, customs processes, and inland logistics activity at the point where maritime transport becomes physical cargo flow. For bulk commodities, liquid cargoes, project cargo, and industrial inputs, agency coordination affects berth planning, documentation, cargo readiness, turnaround time, and onward transport reliability.
The acquisition fits a broader move toward tighter control of port-centric operations. Customers are demanding better visibility across end-to-end movements, while logistics providers are seeking stronger coordination across freight forwarding, customs, inland transport, warehousing, and maritime services. Fragmented handovers can work in stable markets, but disruption in ports, shipping schedules, and inland transport has made those interfaces more exposed.
Full ownership of LBH gives Rhenus a stronger maritime interface for cargo moving through port networks. The gain is particularly relevant in industrial cargo flows that do not always fit standard container patterns. Bulk and liquid cargoes, steel, machinery, chemicals, energy-related goods, and project cargo often require local port expertise alongside wider logistics execution.
Capacity alone does not create resilience if cargo visibility disappears between service providers. Port agency, customs, terminal activity, inland routing, and storage must be coordinated closely enough to prevent delay at the point of transfer. Logistics groups are increasingly building service models around control of those interfaces rather than treating each step as a separate transaction.
LBH’s continued operation under its own brand preserves a degree of local agency identity. That is important in port services, where relationships with port authorities, terminals, vessel operators, surveyors, and local service providers remain central to operational performance. Group ownership can bring systems, scale, and network integration, but vessel calls still depend on local execution.
The acquisition also takes place against a maritime market shaped by geopolitical disruption, port congestion, fuel cost pressure, environmental regulation, and shifting trade flows. Cargo owners are reviewing gateway options, multimodal alternatives, near-port storage, and route diversification more actively than they did before the disruption cycle of recent years.
Rhenus’ full ownership of LBH strengthens its ability to combine maritime services with wider supply chain activity. The value will be seen in how effectively port agency, inland logistics, customs, storage, and customer visibility are brought together around the same cargo movement, reducing friction at one of the most exposed points in the transport chain.
