Mercator
Mercator is an Argentine-headquartered, privately held freight forwarder offering integrated sea, air, truck, and rail logistics for import/export clients, commodity traders, and perishable goods shippers across the Americas, Europe, and select Asian and African markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersPilar, Argentina
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Mercator does
Mercator is a privately held Argentine-headquartered freight forwarder and integrated logistics provider founded in 2011, operating across sea, air, truck, and rail transport modes for international import/export clients. Its core service portfolio covers maritime transport (FCL/LCL), air freight including refrigerated and live animal cargo, road transport with regional connections across South America, and rail logistics through the Ferreyra hub in Córdoba operated in partnership with the Nuevo Central Argentino railway. The company differentiates through a specialized Reefer Network handling over 200,000 TEUs of temperature-controlled cargo annually across twelve countries, and through a global partner network of 193 firms extending its reach into 28 countries without proportional fixed-cost investment. Mercator also offers integrated logistics coordination, project cargo warehousing and stuffing/unstuffing, and logistics consulting for bulk liquids, grains, and FOB trade flows.
The company's commercial model is sales-led and quote-based, with no publicly disclosed pricing tiers. Customers engage through the company website, direct contact, email channels (commercial, globalnetwork, cobranzas, operaciones), and WhatsApp. Mercator operates owned offices in Pilar, Buenos Aires, Rosario, Córdoba, and Tucumán in Argentina; Montevideo in Uruguay; and Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, supplemented by the WCA (World Cargo Alliance) membership for broader global coverage. The customer base spans import/export companies, commodity traders and producers (grains, agriproducts, bulk liquids), and perishable goods shippers (fruits, proteins, dairy, pharmaceuticals), with operations reportedly moving 16,000+ TEUs, 78,000+ tons of bulk cargo, and 600,000+ kg of air cargo per year. The company is founder/owner-operated with no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, M&A activity, or AI/ML differentiation.
Mercator firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mercator
- Legal name
- Mercator
- Website
- https://mercatortransport.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Mercator is an Argentine-headquartered, privately held freight forwarder offering integrated sea, air, truck, and rail logistics for import/export clients, commodity traders, and perishable goods shippers across the Americas, Europe, and select Asian and African markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mercator industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Freight Forwarding and Logistics Services
- NAICS
- Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Freight Transportation Arrangement (48851), Deep Sea Freight Transportation (483111)
- SIC
- Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ocean Export Forwarding (Booking/VGM/SI/BL) (TLACABAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Ocean Import Forwarding (Destination Handling/DO/ISF) (TLACABAE), Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG), Ocean Freight Brokerage (FCL/LCL) (TLADAMAF), Project Cargo Logistics & Transport Management (TLADAGAB)
Keywords
Where Mercator is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pilar
- HQ country
- Argentina
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices9 records
Markets served
Mercator business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Freight Transportation Services: Primary revenue from providing international freight transportation services across multiple modalities including sea freight (FCL and LCL), air freight, truck/road transport, and railway services. Revenue is generated through service fees for transportation, handling, customs clearance, and logistics coordination.
- Logistics and Supply Chain Services: Revenue from integrated logistics solutions including warehousing, storage, stuffing and unstuffing services, project cargo handling, and customs clearance. Services are tailored to client needs and charged accordingly.
- Consulting and Value-Added Services: Logistics consulting services for bulk liquids, grains, and FOB (Free On Board) logistics management. Value-added services include quality inspections, delivery management, and distribution services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Mercator product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mercator is a global logistics provider offering integrated multimodal freight transportation services across sea, air, land, and rail. The company specializes in import/export logistics, customs clearance, warehousing, project cargo handling, and logistics consulting for bulk liquids, grains, and FOB shipments. Through owned offices in Argentina, Uruguay, and Spain, and a global network of 193 partners across 28 countries, Mercator delivers tailor-made end-to-end logistics solutions for clients engaged in international trade.
Product overview
Mercator is a global logistics company offering integrated transportation and supply chain solutions. The core product portfolio includes four primary transport modes: Maritime Transport (Sea Freight with FCL/LCL options), Air Freight, Truck Transport, and Railway Services. Additional service offerings encompass Import & Export Services covering diverse commodity categories, Project Cargo (warehousing and port services), Integrated Logistics (combining rail, trucking, warehousing and ports), Logistics Consulting, and a specialized Reefer Network for temperature-controlled cargo handling. The Reefer Network is a notable specialized service handling over 200,000 TEUs annually across the Americas and Europe. Together, these services provide end-to-end logistics solutions connecting global trade across North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Middle East, India, China, Southeast Asia, and Oceania.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Hub Ferreyra: Logistic hub in Ferreyra, Córdoba for railway services in partnership with Nuevo Central Argentino railway.
- Reefer Network
Products and services
- Maritime Transport (Sea Freight) Maritime cargo transport services offering Full Container Load (FCL) and Less than Container Load (LCL) solutions for import and export, with shipment tracking, document management, and cargo oversight. Provided through partnerships with local, regional, and global shipping alternatives.
- Air Freight Air cargo transportation services including general cargo, refrigerated cargo, and live animal transport, with options for time-sensitive shipments, direct deliveries, and door-to-door delivery. Provided in partnership with major airlines.
- Truck Transport Land transportation services providing optimal routing for seamless delivery, handling import/export logistics, regional connections, and solutions for loose cargo, containers, and integrated transportation. Includes road transport expertise and supply chain management.
- Railway Services Rail logistics hub located in Ferreyra, Córdoba, in partnership with Nuevo Central Argentino railway, providing connectivity between Córdoba, the central Argentine region, and major multipurpose port terminals including Rosario TPR, Zarate TZ, and Buenos Aires.
- Import & Export Services Tailored logistics solutions for import and export of goods including grains, agriproducts, fruits, proteins, dairy, tobacco, sugar, wood, plastics, minerals, foodstuffs, textiles, machinery, fertilizers, spare parts, autoparts, pharmaceuticals, and retail items. Ensures seamless cross-border transportation.
- Project Cargo (Depósito y Puerto) Cargo care services during stationary phases, specializing in safeguarding goods at strategic hubs and intermodal connection points, including stuffing/unstuffing services and secure storage solutions.
- Integrated Logistics Streamlined integration of rail, trucking, warehousing, and port operations to optimize supply chain management with meticulous planning and precise execution for end-to-end logistics coordination.
- Logistics Consulting Expert consulting for efficient global transportation of bulk liquids, grains, and FOB (Free On Board) logistics services, handling every aspect from planning to execution.
- Reefer Network Integrated refrigerated cargo network with specialized partners offering purchasing power with shipping lines, shipment tracking, customs clearance, controlled temperature cargo handling, storage, transportation, distribution, delivery management, and quality inspections. Handles annual volume exceeding 200,000 TEUs across Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, USA, Canada, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, and Middle East.
Quantifiable outcome
- 16,000+ TEUs moved annually
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Mercator
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Mercator technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Mercator partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Nuevo Central Argentino (NCA) RailwaycorePartnership with Nuevo Central Argentino railway for the Ferreyra logistics hub in Córdoba, Argentina. Facilitates seamless connectivity between Córdoba, central Argentine region, and major multipurpose port terminals including Rosario TPR, Zarate TZ, and Buenos Aires (all terminals).
- WCA (World Cargo Alliance)coreMembership in World Cargo Alliance, a global cargo and logistics network. WCA provides a platform for independent freight forwarders to collaborate globally, share resources, and access a worldwide network of partners for handling shipments across borders.
- Global Partner NetworkcoreNetwork of 193 partners worldwide enabling global coverage across Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, India, China, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. Partners provide local expertise, contacts, and purchasing power with shipping lines for competitive rates.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Mercator competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TIBA: TIBA is an Argentina-headquartered international freight forwarder offering ocean, air, road, and customs services across Latin America and Europe. Highly comparable to Mercator in geography, multimodal scope, and customer base of regional importers and exporters.
Broad incumbents
- Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: German-headquartered global freight forwarder with operations across Europe, the Americas, and Asia offering air, ocean, road, and contract logistics. Comparable multimodal forwarding services and global partner-driven coverage model to Mercator.
- DB Schenker: Global logistics provider offering land, air, and ocean freight forwarding with operations across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Overlaps with Mercator on multimodal freight forwarding and contract logistics for international shippers.
- Agility Logistics: Global freight forwarder and contract logistics provider operating across Latin America, Europe, and emerging markets. Directly comparable in multimodal forwarding, customs clearance, and supply chain solutions for trade-flow customers.
- BDP International: US-based global freight forwarder with strong Latin American presence and integrated ocean, air, and customs services. Comparable to Mercator in cross-border freight forwarding for industrial and consumer goods shippers.
- Röhlig Logistics: German-headquartered ocean and air freight forwarder with significant presence in Latin America and a focus on ocean freight, similar to Mercator's core sea freight business. Competes for mid-market international forwarding accounts.
- Kuehne+Nagel: Global freight forwarder with strong ocean, air, and contract logistics operations worldwide including in Argentina and Spain. Competes with Mercator for cross-border freight forwarding and integrated logistics contracts across all transport modes.
- DHL Global Forwarding: DHL's freight forwarding division is one of the world's largest ocean, air, and road freight forwarders with deep presence across Latin America and Spain. Competes with Mercator on enterprise freight forwarding contracts and multimodal solutions but at vastly greater scale.
- Crane Worldwide Logistics: Global logistics provider offering ocean, air, road, and project cargo services across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Comparable to Mercator in multimodal forwarding, project cargo handling, and customs brokerage.
Emerging players
- Flexport: Tech-enabled freight forwarder offering digital ocean, air, and trucking services with a focus on visibility and software-driven workflows. Competes with Mercator for digitally-minded shippers but with substantially greater technology investment and digital tooling.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Mercator social profiles
Digital presenceMercator financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mercator leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Mercator funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mercator M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mercator
What does Mercator do?
Mercator is a global logistics provider offering integrated multimodal freight transportation services across sea, air, land, and rail. The company specializes in import/export logistics, customs clearance, warehousing, project cargo handling, and logistics consulting for bulk liquids, grains, and FOB shipments. Through owned offices in Argentina, Uruguay, and Spain, and a global network of 193 partners across 28 countries, Mercator delivers tailor-made end-to-end logistics solutions for clients engaged in international trade.
Is Mercator a public or private company?
Mercator is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Mercator founded?
Mercator was founded in 2011. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Mercator based?
Mercator is headquartered in Pilar, Argentina, in the Latin America region.
How does Mercator make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Freight Transportation Services are the primary driver. The others are logistics and Supply Chain Services and consulting and Value-Added Services.
Who are Mercator's main competitors?
TIBA is listed as a direct peer. Broad incumbents are Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, DB Schenker, Agility Logistics, BDP International, Röhlig Logistics, Kuehne+Nagel, DHL Global Forwarding and Crane Worldwide Logistics. Flexport is listed as an emerging player.
Does Mercator have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mercator.
What industry is Mercator in?
Mercator's product category is Freight Forwarding and Logistics Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLACABAF, Ocean Export Forwarding (Booking/VGM/SI/BL), with a secondary code of TLACABAE, Ocean Import Forwarding (Destination Handling/DO/ISF). Its NAICS code is 488510 and its SIC code is 4731.