What KGH Customs Services does

KGH Customs Services is a Sweden-founded (Göteborg, 1963) customs brokerage and trade management firm that has operated for six decades before being acquired by A.P. Møller-Mærsk, with full transition to the Maersk brand completed on June 30, 2023. The company organizes its offering into five service modules: customs clearance, booking, consulting, accounting/VAT compliance, and the CTDS digital trade and customs management platform. Its target customer base is enterprise B2B importers, exporters, and logistics buyers requiring cross-border trade compliance across European and adjacent markets.

The firm operates an enterprise B2B go-to-market with a hybrid delivery model that combines licensed customs brokerage labor for transactional filings with technology-enabled workflow automation via CTDS. The business model is primarily professional services and transactional: revenue is generated through fees per customs declaration, recurring platform contracts on CTDS, and project-based consulting and indirect-tax advisory engagements. KGH pursued a multi-year inorganic growth strategy, completing seven acquisitions between 2011 and 2017 to extend its geographic footprint and consolidate regional European customs capabilities, before its acquisition by Maersk.

Post-acquisition, KGH is a wholly-owned subsidiary whose capabilities are being integrated into Maersk's end-to-end logistics product portfolio, leveraging Maersk's ocean freight and global customer distribution for cross-sell. The company reports a headcount in the 1,001–5,000 range, indicating significant operational scale relative to typical regional customs brokers. Limited information is disclosed on customers, revenue, AI capabilities, or independent financial metrics, as the unit no longer reports on a standalone basis.

Name

KGH Customs Services

Legal name

KGH Customs Services

Website

https://kghcustoms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

KGH Customs Services is a Sweden-founded customs brokerage and trade management firm (est. 1963) serving enterprise importers and exporters, now operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of A.P. Møller-Mærsk following full brand integration on June 30, 2023.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Customs Brokerage Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851), Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Customs Consulting & Brokerage Outsourcing (Managed Brokerage, Brokerage Operations) (TLACAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Import Customs Clearance (Entry Filing & Release) (TLACAFAA), Export Customs Clearance (Export Declarations & AES/EEI) (TLACAFAB), Customs Classification & Valuation (HS/HTS, Origin, Duty Optimization) (TLACAFAC), Customs Brokerage & Trade Compliance (EDAOANAH)

Keywords

• Customs brokerage services
• Trade management solutions
• Customs clearance declarations
• Trade compliance consulting
• VAT and accounting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Göteborg

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Customs Clearance Services: Core customs brokerage services including import, export, and in-transit declarations managed globally with local expertise
2. Global Trade and Customs Consulting: Risk management and customs setup optimization services
3. Accounting and VAT Services: Trade accounting and VAT compliance services across jurisdictions
4. Customs Trade Digital Solutions (CTDS): Digital trade management platform for streamlining customs processes

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KGH Customs Services provides customs clearance services (import, export, and in-transit declarations) globally with local expertise. It also offers global trade and customs consulting for risk management and customs optimization, trade accounting and VAT services across jurisdictions, and the Customs Trade Digital Solutions (CTDS) platform for digital management of trade and customs operations.

Product overview

KGH Customs Services (now Maersk Customs Services) is a unified customs and trade management platform offering five integrated service modules: (1) Customs Clearance Services as the core offering covering import, export, and in-transit declarations with global reach and local expertise; (2) Booking with Maersk Customs Services providing a step-by-step booking workflow; (3) Global Trade and Customs Consulting services for risk management and customs optimization; (4) Accounting and VAT services for trade financial management; and (5) Customs Trade Digital Solutions (CTDS) as the digital platform for streamlining trade and customs operations. These modules work together to provide end-to-end customs management under one roof.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Customs Trade Digital Solutions (CTDS): Digital solutions for improving and streamlining trade and customs management.

Products and services

• Customs Clearance Services Core customs services covering import, export, and in-transit declarations, delivered globally with local expertise across regions for businesses engaged in cross-border trade.
• Global Trade and Customs Consulting Services Consulting services for risk management and customs setup optimization, helping businesses manage trade compliance and improve operational efficiency.
• Accounting and VAT Services Trade accounting support including VAT compliance and fiscal representation services across multiple jurisdictions, helping businesses manage financial aspects of international trade.
• Customs Trade Digital Solutions (CTDS) Digital platform for improving and streamlining trade and customs management processes, providing digital access to customs services and documentation for enterprise trade operations.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Expeditors International: Global logistics company with significant customs brokerage operations, including compliance, classification, and consulting. Comparable to KGH in offering integrated clearance and trade-compliance services to mid- and large-volume international shippers.
• Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders, operating customs brokerage, trade compliance, and digital customs platforms (e.g., KN CustomsNet) across Europe. Overlaps with KGH in core customs clearance, consulting, and digital trade solutions, and competes for the same enterprise shipper base.
• Customs Support Group: European specialist customs services provider offering clearance, consulting, and digital customs solutions. Highly comparable to KGH's specialist positioning and consulting-led offering, particularly in Northern Europe.
• DSV: Global transport and logistics company with customs services across the Nordics and Europe, including clearance, consulting, and digital booking. Direct competitor in the Nordic and broader European customs market with similar mid-market to enterprise B2B focus.
• Geodis: Global logistics provider with customs brokerage and trade-compliance services across Europe. Overlaps with KGH on clearance filings, consulting, and VAT/fiscal representation for European cross-border trade customers.
• DHL Global Forwarding (Customs Services): Global logistics integrator with a large customs brokerage and trade-compliance practice across Europe, offering import/export clearance, consulting, and digital customs tools. Directly comparable to KGH in scope, customer base (importers/exporters), and integration with a global logistics parent.
• Bolloré Logistics: Global logistics and freight forwarding group with customs brokerage, trade compliance, and digital tools. Comparable to KGH in providing integrated customs services to enterprise import/export customers across European and global trade lanes.
• DB Schenker: Global logistics provider offering customs clearance, trade compliance, and digital customs tools across European and global trade lanes. Direct comparable to KGH on clearance, consulting, and digital customs offerings, serving similar import/export customer segments.

Emerging players

• MIC Customs Solutions: European customs software and services specialist focused on digital customs filing, classification, and compliance tools. Overlaps with KGH's CTDS offering and consulting practice, but with a more software-centric, niche focus.

Broad incumbents

• UPS Supply Chain Solutions (Customs Brokerage): Part of UPS, offering customs brokerage, trade compliance, and digital customs tools as part of a broader parcel and supply-chain portfolio. Comparable to KGH on clearance and consulting but operating as part of a much larger integrator with broader product breadth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kghborders
• Facebookfacebook.com/maersk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kgh-customs-services-a-maersk-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A7 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about KGH Customs Services