IN Brief:
- CLdN has finalised the transfer of its shipping operations from Luxembourg to the United Kingdom.
- The company operates UK terminals in London, Killingholme, and Liverpool, with around three quarters of its sailings starting or ending at UK ports.
- The move follows continued UK port investment and the acquisition of Samskip’s UK and Ireland freight activities.
CLdN has completed the move of its shipping operations from Luxembourg to the United Kingdom, reinforcing its position in UK, Ireland, and mainland Europe freight markets.
The company has operated freight connections to the UK for more than 60 years and owns and operates port terminals in London, Killingholme, and Liverpool. Around three quarters of CLdN’s sailings currently start or end at a UK port, bringing the company’s formal operating base closer to its commercial footprint.
The move was marked by a visit from UK Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation Minister Keir Mather to CLdN’s London terminal in Purfleet. The 130-hectare facility acts as a major trade gateway between the UK and mainland Europe. CLdN operates 17 return sailings per week between Purfleet and its ports in Zeebrugge and Rotterdam.
Across its wider network, CLdN operates 30 cargo vessels and nine port terminals in the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands. It transports around 1.5m cargo units each year to and from the UK, including trailers, containers, and new cars. Its short-sea freight operation is built around roll-on/roll-off, lift-on/lift-off, terminal services, and multimodal freight movements.
The relocation follows a wider period of network development. CLdN has been investing in its UK port terminals at London, Killingholme, and Liverpool, with infrastructure developments totalling around €100m. Those investments are intended to improve cargo storage and handling efficiency as freight traffic grows.
The company has also agreed to acquire Samskip’s quay-to-quay and door-to-door freight business between the Continent, the UK, and Ireland. That transaction covers container services between Rotterdam and UK ports including Belfast, Blyth, Grangemouth, Hull, and Tilbury, as well as Irish ports including Cork, Dublin, and Waterford. It also includes more than 5,000 multimodal cargo units, including 45ft pallet-wide containers, refrigerated containers, curtain-side containers, flat racks, and high-cube refrigerated containers.
The shift strengthens a short-sea network that is becoming more important as companies reassess exposure to long-haul disruption, port congestion, driver availability, and emissions reporting. North Sea and Irish Sea services give manufacturers, retailers, and 3PLs another way to manage cross-border freight without relying solely on accompanied road movements.
Short-sea capacity has carried greater operational weight since Brexit changed UK-EU documentation and border processes. Operators now need more reliable port options, better trailer and container availability, and stronger links between maritime services and inland distribution. CLdN’s model combines terminals, vessels, and door-to-door capability, giving it more control over the interface between port operations and customer delivery.
Regulatory pressure is also sharpening the economics of maritime planning. UK ETS changes are increasing maritime compliance pressure, bringing fuel efficiency, equipment utilisation, port handling time, and sailing frequency more directly into cost and emissions management.
The Samskip acquisition gives CLdN additional reach into Ireland and mainland Europe, particularly where customers need containerised door-to-door services rather than pure port-to-port movement. The integration of new cargo equipment and sailing options will be important for shippers balancing cost, frequency, and service continuity across UK, Irish, and continental lanes.
CLdN’s move to the UK therefore forms part of a wider operational repositioning. The company is concentrating its shipping operations closer to a market where it already has terminals, sailings, customers, and investment. For a UK freight market still shaped by border friction, infrastructure pressure, and modal shift ambitions, the decision reinforces short-sea logistics as a core part of cross-border supply chain planning.