Access World

What Access World does

Access World is a global commodity logistics and warehousing provider founded in 1933 and headquartered in Zug, Switzerland. The company operates a network of 155+ warehouse facilities across 30+ countries spanning five continents, with more than 1 million square meters of covered storage and 3+ million tons of storage capacity. Its core offering is organized into two pillars: Warehousing & Handling (commodity warehousing, stevedoring, value-added services, foreign trade zones, FMCG logistics, and collateral management) and Transportation & Logistics (customs clearing, NVOCC ocean freight, road and rail, vessel chartering, ships agency, project forwarding, and flexitank solutions). A defining capability is its status as an approved warehouse keeper for the London Metal Exchange (LME), CME Group, ICE Futures, and COMEX, enabling it to store exchange-deliverable metals including aluminum, copper, zinc, nickel, lead, and tin, and to issue warrants that are central to physical commodity trading and collateral financing.

The company serves commodity producers, miners, global trading houses, financial institutions, agricultural merchants, and project cargo clients. Revenue is generated through storage fees, handling charges, freight forwarding transaction fees, collateral management services, customs brokerage, and value-added services such as packaging and labelling. Pricing is quote-based and customized per engagement, typically on multi-year enterprise contracts distributed through a direct field sales model with regional offices and an inbound 'Request a Quote' channel. Technology infrastructure is mid-stage in modernization, currently anchored by Oracle HCM Cloud for human capital management and AI-driven warehouse management systems for inventory tracking and logistics planning, alongside a proprietary safety programme called SafeAccess.

Access World is currently in an ownership transition. Originally acquired by Glencore in 2010, the business was sold in 2022 to Global Capital Merchants Ltd via vendor financing from Glencore. Following Global Capital Merchants' failure to repay, Glencore is exercising enforcement rights to re-acquire the company; South Africa's Competition Tribunal conditionally approved the re-acquisition in June 2026, with Dutch regulatory approvals still pending. The company maintains wholly-owned regional subsidiaries across Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Africa, and operates a South American channel partnership with El Origen in Chile.

Name

Access World

Legal name

Access World

Website

https://accessworld.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1933

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Access World is a global commodity logistics and warehousing provider operating 155+ warehouses across 30+ countries, serving metals producers, commodity traders, financial institutions, and agricultural merchants with LME/CME/ICE/COMEX-approved storage, freight forwarding, and collateral management services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commodity Logistics Services

NAICS

General Warehousing and Storage (49311), Warehousing and Storage (4931), Marine Cargo Handling (48832), Support Activities for Transportation (488), General Warehousing and Storage (493110)

SIC

Public Warehousing & Storage (4220), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210)

akta.pro primary industry

Container Cleaning, Washing & Decontamination Facilities (TLALAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Value-Added Services in Bond (Kitting, Labeling, Repacking, Light Assembly) (TLALAGAI), Bulk Commodities Transload (Grain, Feed, Fertilizer, Aggregates) (TLALAFAG), Container Stuffing/Unstuffing & Depot-Based Value-Added Services (TLALAJAM), Chassis / Trailer / Mafi / Genset Storage Yards (TLALAJAI), Hazmat & Dangerous Goods Warehousing (Regulated Storage) (TLAIACAE), Bulk Cargo Handling Services (Conveying, Grab/Loader Ops, Bagging) (TLAHALAI)

Keywords

• Commodity warehousing
• Freight forwarding
• Customs clearing
• Collateral management
• Project cargo logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Zug

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Logistics and Warehousing Services: Core revenue stream from providing comprehensive logistics services including warehousing, handling, and transportation of non-ferrous and ferrous metals, agricultural commodities, and other cargo. Revenue is generated through storage fees, handling charges, and logistics service fees charged to commodity producers, traders, and financiers.
2. Freight Forwarding: International and domestic freight forwarding services including container freight bookings. Revenue generated per shipment based on volume, distance, and service requirements.
3. Collateral Management: Warehouse receipt financing and collateral management services for commodity traders and financial institutions, providing custody solutions for metals and agricultural commodities held as financial collateral.
4. Customs Clearance and Documentation: Professional services for customs brokerage, documentation handling, and regulatory compliance for international commodity shipments.
5. Stevedoring and Value-Added Services: Port handling services including stevedoring, loading/unloading, and specialized commodity handling. Additional revenue from ancillary services at port facilities.
6. Vessel Chartering: Chartering of vessels for bulk commodity transportation, serving clients requiring dedicated shipping capacity for large-volume commodity movements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Access World is a global logistics and warehousing company providing end-to-end commodity supply chain solutions. The offering is organized around two pillars: Warehousing & Handling (including commodity warehousing, LME/CME exchange warehousing, foreign trade zones, stevedoring, value-added services, FMCG logistics, and collateral management) and Transportation & Logistics (including customs clearing, NVOCC ocean freight, road & rail, vessel chartering, ships agency, project forwarding, and flexitank solutions). Services are delivered through 155+ warehouses across 30+ countries with over 1 million sqm of covered storage and 28+ million tons of annual cargo throughput.

Product overview

Access World is a global logistics and warehousing company offering a comprehensive suite of commodity logistics services. The core offering consists of integrated warehousing, handling, and transportation services organized around two main pillars: Warehousing & Handling (covering commodity warehousing, LME/CME exchange warehousing, foreign trade zones, stevedoring, and value-added services) and Transportation & Logistics (covering customs clearing, NVOCC ocean freight, road & rail, vessel chartering, ships agency, project forwarding, and flexitank solutions). The company handles a diverse portfolio of commodities across metals (non-ferrous, ferrous, ferroalloys, minor metals, battery raw materials), agriculture (cashew, cocoa, green coffee beans, grains, cotton, forest products, reefer cargo), and specialized cargo (project cargo, renewable energy, chemicals, plastics, general cargo). A key differentiator is its role as an approved warehouse keeper of the LME and CME exchanges, providing tradable warrant services. The portfolio also includes a proprietary safety programme called SafeAccess. In 2022, the company launched ATClub, a consumer-facing sports partner-finding mobile app.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Warehousing & Handling Core commodity warehousing and handling services including commodity warehousing, stevedoring, and value-added services such as packaging, bundling, and labelling for non-ferrous and ferrous metals, ferroalloys, bulk materials, and agricultural commodities.
• Commodity Exchange Warehousing (LME/CME) Approved warehouse keeper of the London Metal Exchange (LME) and Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME/COMEX), providing exchange-grade warehousing and warrant services for base metals traders, producers, financiers, and consumers.
• Foreign Trade Zones (FTZs) Foreign trade zone storage solutions allowing imported goods to be stored without paying customs duties until entering U.S. commerce, offering duty deferral, reduction, or elimination benefits.
• FMCG Value-Added Logistics Value-added logistics services for fast-moving consumer goods including repackaging, bundling, packing, labelling, and cross-trading.
• Collateral Management Collateral management services for ferroalloys, minor metals, oil and gas, and other commodities, accepted by traders, producers, and financial institutions.
• Customs Clearing & Forwarding Customs brokerage and clearing services facilitating international trade compliance and streamlined import/export procedures.
• NVOCC Ocean Freight Bookings Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC) ocean freight booking services for containerized and breakbulk cargo.
• Road & Rail Overland road and rail transport services for containers and bulk cargo across domestic and cross-border routes.
• Vessel Chartering Vessel chartering services for ocean freight transportation of bulk and project cargo.
• Ships Agency Ship agency services providing port representation and operational support for vessels.
• Project Forwarding Specialized logistics for complex, heavy-lift, oversized, and high-value project cargo including planning and execution across multiple transport modes.
• Flexitank Solutions & Related Services Flexitank solutions for bulk liquid transport within standard containers, suitable for non-hazardous liquids including oils and chemicals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 28+ million tons of cargo handled annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• El OrigencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Access World Chile operates in partnership with El Origen, a local logistics company based in Santiago, Chile. El Origen provides local market expertise, established relationships with Chilean mining companies, and regional logistics capabilities that complement Access World's global network in the South American market.
• London Metal Exchange (LME)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccess World operates LME-approved warehouses enabling storage and delivery of LME-deliverable metals including aluminum, copper, zinc, nickel, lead, tin, and aluminum alloys. This partnership is fundamental to Access World's commodity logistics business model.
• CME GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCME Group approved warehouse status enables Access World to serve as storage provider for CME commodity futures contracts, including metals and agricultural products.
• Intercontinental Exchange (ICE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved warehouse provider for ICE Futures commodity exchange, supporting physical delivery mechanisms for ICE-traded commodity contracts.
• COMEXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesignated warehouse keeper status for COMEX futures contracts serving precious and base metals markets.
• XLProjectsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndustry association membership and project cargo logistics network for heavy-lift and oversized cargo coordination.
• SFN (Specialist Freight Network)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMembership in freight forwarding network providing access to specialized logistics partners for complex international shipments.
• JCtransminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMembership in global logistics and freight forwarding network for international cargo coordination.
• CAA (Consolidated Agencies Association)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndustry association membership for customs brokerage and agencies services.
• FIATAminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations membership providing industry credentials and network access.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Kuehne+Nagel: Kuehne+Nagel is one of the world's largest freight forwarders with extensive contract logistics and warehousing capabilities, competing with Access World in customs clearing, ocean freight, road/rail, and specialized commodity logistics.
• DHL Global Forwarding: DHL Global Forwarding (part of Deutsche Post DHL Group) operates a global freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and contract logistics network that competes with Access World's transportation, freight forwarding, and warehousing services across multiple commodity verticals.
• Glencore: Glencore is Access World's parent (currently re-acquiring full ownership) and one of the world's largest diversified commodity traders. While broader in scope, Glencore has significant internal commodity logistics requirements and competes broadly in metals, agricultural products, and energy markets where Access World operates.
• Trafigura: Trafigura is a major global commodity trading house with significant proprietary logistics, warehousing, and storage operations across metals, oil, and minerals, overlapping with Access World's commodity logistics service portfolio.
• Maersk: Maersk is a global integrated container logistics company offering ocean freight, inland transportation, and contract logistics (warehousing) services. Its end-to-end logistics offering overlaps with Access World's NVOCC ocean freight and warehousing services, especially for containerized commodity cargo.
• Mitsui & Co. Logistics: Mitsui & Co. and affiliated logistics entities operate extensive commodity warehousing and trading logistics infrastructure in Asia and globally, competing with Access World in metals, mineral, and agricultural commodity logistics in the Asia Pacific region.
• Gebrüder Weiss: Gebrüder Weiss is a global logistics company with deep expertise in commodity logistics following its acquisition of C. Steinweg, directly competing with Access World in metals warehousing, freight forwarding, and customs services across Europe and globally.

Direct peers

• C. Steinweg: C. Steinweg (now part of Gebrüder Weiss) is a leading global commodity logistics and warehousing specialist with LME-approved warehouses, directly competing with Access World in metals warehousing, stevedoring, and freight forwarding for base metals.
• Pacorini Metals: Pacorini Metals is an LME-approved warehouse keeper specializing in base metals warehousing and warrant services, operating a similar model to Access World's commodity exchange warehousing business across global locations.

Regional players

• Imperial Logistics: Imperial Logistics (now part of DP World) is a major African-focused logistics and freight management company. It overlaps with Access World's African operations in warehousing, freight forwarding, and commodity logistics, particularly across Southern Africa.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AccessWorldLSP
• Facebookfacebook.com/accessworldglobal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/accessworld

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Access World