What Marguisa does

Marguisa Shipping Lines, S.L.U. is a Madrid-headquartered private container shipping company, founded in 1990 as MAC GUINEA in Equatorial Guinea and rebranded as Marguisa International in 1998. The company operates three core service lines: container shipping (dry, refrigerated, and special equipment including flat rack, open top, and out-of-gauge), roll-on/roll-off (RO-RO) shipping for vehicles and wheeled cargo, and multi-purpose vessel (MPP) services for heavy lift, project cargo, and breakbulk. Its primary trade focus is scheduled container services between Spain/Europe and West Africa, with weekly calls at Douala, Lome, Cotonou, Santo Tomé, Calabar, and Pointe Noire, complemented by named route services extending to the Mediterranean, Far East, India/Middle East, South Africa, and the Americas (MAS, ATMAS, CEMAS, WEMAS, FEMAS, INMAS, EGZA, EGAM, MCS, MFS, MAES, MTS). The MPP service is delivered through the United Marguisa Lines (UML) joint venture with United Heavy Lift, operating twin vessels (UML Valentina and UML Veronica) with 12,346 DWT and 160-ton crane lifting capacity.

The company distributes and operates through a hybrid model combining a global shipping agent and channel partner network (Bolloré, Ben Line Agencies, COLMAR, IMAGESA, Sharaf Shipping Agency, WASA Projects & Logistics, Boeckmans) with its own offices in Madrid, Valencia, Equatorial Guinea (Bata, Malabo), and Asia. Digital customer-facing tools include an e-Booking platform (ebooking.marguisa.com), a real-time cargo Tracking Service (tracking.marguisa.com), and a Carbon Footprint Calculator for estimating shipment CO2 emissions. Marguisa is part of the privately held Sea & Ports Group (Grupo Sea & Ports), a diversified maritime conglomerate that also owns terminal operations, stevedoring, and shipping agency entities. Reported scale includes 236,500 tonnes transported annually, 20,000+ TEUs of container capacity in Africa, a presence in 55+ countries, and a 100+ office network.

Revenue is generated primarily through transaction-based freight charges on container, RO-RO, and MPP services, with rates quoted per route, cargo type, and container specification. The customer base comprises cargo owners, freight forwarders, project cargo shippers in wind power and oil & gas, vehicle exporters, and bulk cargo shippers. Marguisa's operations are subject to FMC tariff filing for U.S. trade (OTI # 028275). The company is led by a Madrid-based management team including General Manager Francisco Durán and Container Liner Service Manager Andrés Cadenas, with no disclosed venture capital or private equity backing.

Name

Marguisa

Legal name

Marguisa Shipping Lines, S.L.U.

Website

https://marguisa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Marguisa Shipping Lines is a Madrid-based private shipping line operating scheduled container, RO-RO, and multi-purpose vessel services primarily between Europe and West Africa, serving cargo owners, freight forwarders, and project cargo shippers across 55+ countries via a 100+ office agent network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Shipping Services

NAICS

Deep Sea Freight Transportation (483111), Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)

SIC

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), Finished Vehicle Ocean RoRo & Deep-Sea Vehicle Carriers (TLADAJAC), High & Heavy / Project Ro-Ro Handling (Construction, Mining & Oversize Equipment) (TLAHACAI)

Keywords

• Container shipping services
• Maritime cargo transport
• RO-RO shipping
• Project cargo logistics
• Heavy lift shipping

Headquarters

HQ city

Madrid

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Container Shipping Services: International container shipping services including dry cargo, refrigerated cargo, and special equipment containers. Revenue generated through freight rates based on container volume and route.
2. RO-RO Shipping Services: Roll-on/Roll-off shipping services for vehicles and wheeled cargo with direct routes minimizing transshipment risks
3. Multi-Purpose (MPP) Services: Chartering and cargo operation services for heavy lift, project cargo, and bulk goods. Includes monthly departures from Europe and Mediterranean with spot solutions worldwide

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Marguisa Shipping Lines operates as a container shipping line providing three core maritime transport services: (1) Container Service (PC) carrying dry, refrigerated, and special equipment containers (flat rack, open top, OOG) on regular sailings to/from West Africa, Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East; (2) MPP Service for heavy-lift, project, and breakbulk cargo using chartered multipurpose vessels; and (3) RO-RO Service for direct roll-on/roll-off vehicle and wheeled cargo transport. Sales and operations are supported by an in-house e-Booking platform, real-time cargo tracking, and a global network of shipping agents.

Product overview

Marguisa Shipping Lines is a shipping company offering three core services: Container Service (providing dry, refrigerated, and special equipment containers), MPP (Multi-Purpose/Project Cargo) Service for heavy lift and project cargo, and RO-RO (Roll-on/Roll-off) Service for vehicle and machinery transport. The company operates multiple named route-specific services including MAS, ATMAS, CEMAS, WEMAS, FEMAS, INMAS, EGZA, EGAM, MCS, MFS, MAES, and MTS. Digital tools include e-Booking, Tracking Service, and Carbon Footprint Calculator. The MPP service is enhanced through the United Marguisa Lines (UML) joint venture with United Heavy Lift, operating two twin MPP vessels (UML Valentina and UML Veronica) with 160-ton crane lifting capacity. The company transports 236,500 tonnes annually with over 20,000 TEUs in Africa across more than 55 countries and 100 offices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• United Marguisa Lines: Joint venture MPV service between MARGUISA and United Heavy Lift for project cargo and heavy lift shipping to/from Africa, launched in 2020.

Products and services

• Container Service (PC) Container shipping service offering global coverage with regular weekly and monthly departures, transporting dry cargo, refrigerated cargo, and special equipment containers (flat rack, open top, OOG). Serves cargo owners, freight forwarders, and shipping companies moving containerized goods to and from West Africa, Europe, the Mediterranean, the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East.
• MPP Service (Multi-Purpose / Project Cargo) Monthly multi-purpose shipping service from Europe and the Mediterranean to West Africa, specializing in heavy lift, project cargo, breakbulk, and bulk goods. Provides chartering, technical solutions, and monthly departures with spot solutions worldwide for industrial project cargo customers.
• RO-RO Service (Roll-on/Roll-off) Roll-on/Roll-off shipping service for vehicles and wheeled cargo with direct routes and no transshipments, minimizing risks. Offers monthly frequency adaptable to client needs for vehicle OEMs, distributors, and equipment exporters.
• UML (United Marguisa Lines) MPV Service

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• United Heavy LiftcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Joint venture partnership to establish United Marguisa Lines (UML) for MPV (Multi-Purpose Vessel) services to and from Africa. Marguisa collaborates with United Heavy Lift to provide heavy lift and project cargo services, operating twin MPP vessels UML Valentina and UML Veronica with 160-ton lifting capacity.
• INTERMARINEminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Collaboration agreement for MPV service until 2018, providing multi-purpose vessel services to Africa.
• IMAGESA (Image Shipping)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary shipping agency partner handling operations in Equatorial Guinea (Bata and Malabo), Cameroon, São Tomé, Morocco, and other locations. IMAGESA provides stevedoring, terminal operations, logistics, and shipping agency services.
• BOLLORE Transport & LogisticscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor agency partner handling operations across Africa including Benin (Cotonou), Congo (Pointe-Noire), Côte d'Ivoire (Abidjan), Gabon (Libreville), Senegal (Dakar), Togo (Lomé), and other locations. Provides comprehensive logistics and shipping services.
• Ben Line AgenciescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExtensive network partner covering Asia-Pacific operations including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam. Handles sales, operations, and customer service for the region.
• WASA Projects & LogisticscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAgent in Brazil (São Paulo/Santos) handling sales, chartering, operations, documentation, and accounting services for South American operations.
• COLMAR (Consignaciones Marítimas y Logística)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShipping agency partner handling operations in Spain (Valencia, Barcelona, Bilbao, Vigo/Marín, Alicante), France (Le Havre), Portugal (Matosinhos), and Turkey (Istanbul). Provides sales, operations, documentation, and logistics services.
• BoeckmansmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShipping agency partner covering Belgium (Antwerp) and Netherlands (Rotterdam), handling port agency services and freight forwarding.
• Sharaf Shipping AgencymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAgency partner handling operations in UAE (Dubai, Jebel Ali, Khor Al Fakkan), providing comprehensive shipping agency services including sales, operations, documentation, and logistics.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Delmas (CMA CGM Africa): CMA CGM's Africa-focused brand historically serving Europe–Africa and intra-Africa container trades. Comparable as a much larger incumbent on the same West and Central Africa lane where Marguisa competes for cargo.
• CMA CGM: Global container shipping group with strong Africa presence through Delmas and dedicated Africa services. Comparable as a broad incumbent on the same West/Central Africa trade lanes.
• Maersk: Largest global ocean container carrier offering integrated logistics including Africa trades. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose end-to-end logistics offering competes with Marguisa's container and integrated services.
• Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC): World's largest container shipping line with significant Europe–Africa and Asia–Africa routings. Comparable as a global incumbent whose scale and schedule density pressure smaller niche carriers like Marguisa on rate and slot availability.

Regional players

• OLDENDORFF Carriers: German bulk and MPP/project cargo operator with strong transatlantic and Africa-Asia project cargo flows. Comparable to Marguisa's MPV/Multi-Purpose service line on heavy lift and breakbulk project cargoes to West Africa.

Direct peers

• Grimaldi Lines: Italian shipping group combining container, RO-RO and car carrier services with strong Mediterranean and West Africa presence. Comparable to Marguisa across both container and roll-on/roll-off services for vehicle and project cargoes.
• United Heavy Lift: Hamburg-based MPP/project cargo operator and Marguisa's JV partner in United Marguisa Lines. Comparable on the heavy lift and project cargo side, with overlapping vessel capability and similar project cargo customer base.
• Höegh Autoliners: Pure-play global deep-sea RO-RO/vehicle carrier. Comparable to Marguisa's RO-RO service line on transatlantic and Africa routings where both compete for finished vehicle OEMs.
• WEC Lines: Container shipping line focused on Europe–West Africa and Europe–Caribbean trades with a network of owned and partner offices. Directly comparable to Marguisa on the Europe–West Africa container lane, with similar customer base of cargo owners and forwarders.

Others

• Bolloré Transport & Logistics: Pan-African logistics operator handling shipping agency, port terminals and inland logistics — simultaneously a key Marguisa channel partner in Africa and an adjacent competitor in integrated logistics services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marguisa-shipping-lines

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Marguisa