What AMB - Agence Maritime Brestoise does

AMB - Agence Maritime Brestoise is a French maritime port agency operating at the Port of Commerce de Brest, providing an integrated suite of five core services: ship consignment (consignation), port handling (manutention), customs clearance and forwarding (transit/douane), warehousing (stockage), and road transport (affrètement routier). The company was formed from the consolidation of four Groupe Maritime Kuhn entities — UAT, MANUPORT, GIE SOBRESTOCK, and GIE BREST TERMINAL — into a single multi-service operator covering the full vessel-to-customer logistics chain. AMB serves ship owners, charterers, importers, exporters, and freight forwarders, with publicly named enterprise customers MSC and CMA CGM in container representation. Annual operational throughput is approximately 1.3 million tonnes of cargo, 30,000+ TEU of containers, and roughly 500 vessel calls, supported by 100,000–120,000 tonnes of storage capacity, a 50,000 m² multimodal container terminal with RoRo ramp, 300+ reefer plugs, direct railway connection, and handling equipment up to 45 tonnes.

Underlying operations rely on physical port infrastructure — conveyor-linked bulk warehouses, GMP+ B3 and HACCP-compliant storage, ISPS zones, and a diversified handling fleet (1–16 tonne forklifts, 45-tonne reachstackers, port tractors, loaders) — rather than a software platform. The business model is B2B and transaction/quote-based, with revenue generated across professional services (consignation, customs), transaction fees (handling, road transport), and managed services (warehousing). AMB holds an unusually dense certification stack — OEA Full AEO, ISO 9001 v2015, GMP+ B3, QUALIMAT TRANSPORT, and FONASBA membership — which functions as a regulatory and quality moat, particularly for agro-bulk and animal-feed flows.

A distinguishing capability is 10+ years of specialized experience handling Marine Renewable Energy (EMR) cargo — tidal turbines (hydroliennes), offshore wind components, and exceptional heavy lifts — which positions AMB for growth as France scales offshore wind capacity. In May 2025, AMB signed a strategic MOU with BrestPort at the Seanergy trade show to co-develop EMR logistics at Brest. AMB is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Groupe Maritime Kuhn, a family-owned French port logistics group founded in 1948 that operates across 22 French commercial ports and reports €165M of group revenue and 800 employees. AMB's GTM is sales-led and relationship-based, with no digital self-serve channel, app, or public API.

Name

AMB - Agence Maritime Brestoise

Legal name

AMB - Agence Maritime Brestoise

Website

https://amb-mk.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AMB is a French maritime port agency at Brest, offering integrated ship agency, cargo handling, customs, storage, and road transport services under Groupe Maritime Kuhn. It serves ship owners, charterers, importers, and exporters, with specialized expertise in marine renewable energy handling.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Port logistics and maritime agency services

NAICS

Marine Cargo Handling (48832), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Terminal Cargo Handling & Yard Operations (Receiving, Staging, Delivery) (TLAHALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG), FCL (Full Container Load) Ocean Forwarding (TLACABAA), Ocean Import Forwarding (Destination Handling/DO/ISF) (TLACABAE)

Keywords

• Maritime port services
• Ship agency consignation
• Port cargo handling
• Customs clearance freight forwarding
• Port warehousing storage

Headquarters

HQ city

Brest

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consignation maritime: Ship agency services including coordination of vessel arrivals/departures, administrative formalities, port authority liaison, and 24/7 availability for ships. Services cover commercial vessels, cruise ships, naval vessels, and technical calls.
2. Manutention portuaire: Port handling services for loading/unloading operations covering raw materials (feed grains, industrial bulk), conventional cargo, containers (including stuffing/unstuffing), and exceptional heavy cargo such as wind turbines and tidal turbines.
3. Transit et douane: Customs clearance and freight forwarding services for import/export operations including customs declarations, temporary importation, air freight (including dangerous goods and perishables), and maritime freight.
4. Stockage portuaire: Warehousing and storage services with 100,000-120,000 tonne capacity for bulk agro goods, containers, and conventional cargo on land and in warehouses including HACCP and GMP+ certified facilities.
5. Affrètement routier: Road transport services including cereal trucks (53-65 m3), container chassis (20' and 40'), loading operations, and transport to final destination.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

AMB is a maritime agency at the port of Brest providing five integrated port services: consignation (ship agency), manutention (port cargo handling for bulk, containers and heavy/exceptional cargo), transit/douane (customs clearance and freight forwarding), stockage (warehousing and storage of bulk, containers and conventional cargo), and affrètement routier (road transport). Services are sold primarily to ship owners, charterers, importers, exporters and freight forwarders operating through the port of Brest.

Product overview

AMB - Agence Maritime Brestoise is a port services company resulting from the merger of four Maritime Kuhn entities (UAT, MANUPORT, GIE SOBRESTOCK & GIE BREST TERMINAL). The company offers an integrated suite of five core maritime port services: Consignation (ship agency services), Transit/Douane (customs and logistics), Manutention (port handling), Stockage (warehousing), and Affrètement Routier (road transport). These services are designed to work together to provide comprehensive port operations covering vessel arrival through cargo delivery to final customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Consignation (Ship Agency) Ship agency service coordinating vessel arrival and departure operations, administrative formalities, handling coordination, and liaison with port authorities for ship owners, charterers, cruise and naval vessels, with 24/7 availability.
• Transit / Douane (Customs and Freight Forwarding) Customs clearance and transit services including customs declarations for import/export, temporary importation and re-exportation, and air and maritime freight handling for importers, exporters and freight forwarders.
• Manutention (Port Handling) Loading and unloading services for bulk commodities (agro-alimentary and industrial), containers (including stuffing/unstuffing), and heavy/exceptional cargo such as marine renewable energy equipment.
• Stockage (Port Storage and Warehousing) Warehousing and storage services with 100,000-120,000 tonne capacity for bulk agro-goods, containers, and conventional cargo on land and in warehouses, with HACCP and GMP+ B3 certified facilities.
• Affrètement Routier (Road Transport) Road chartering and transport services using cereal trucks (53-65 m3) and 20'/40' container chassis, including loading, legal documentation and delivery to final destination.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,000,000 to 1,300,000 tonnes of cargo handled annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 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

One partnership is on record.

• BrestPortcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2025AMB and BrestPort signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Seanergy trade show to establish a strategic partnership focused on the development of Marine Renewable Energy (EMR) at Brest. This partnership aims to strengthen Brest's position as a hub for marine renewable energy operations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Euroports: One of Europe's largest port terminal operators managing bulk, containers, and breakbulk across multiple jurisdictions. Comparable to AMB as a multi-modal port handling operator, but at significantly greater scale.
• GEFCO: European logistics provider offering multimodal transport, customs services, and finished vehicle logistics. Comparable to AMB in customs clearance and road freight forwarding offerings, with broader geographic and customer reach.
• Grand Port Maritime de Marseille (GPMM): State-authorized port authority operating France's largest port by tonnage, providing ship agency, handling, and storage services across multiple terminals. Comparable as a full-service French port operator, with AMB operating at a much smaller regional scale.
• CEVA Logistics: Global 3PL with extensive freight forwarding, customs, and contract logistics operations. Comparable to AMB's transit/douane and integrated logistics offerings, but with global rather than single-port focus.
• Bolloré Logistics: Global logistics provider with significant port and freight forwarding operations, including customs brokerage and multimodal transport. Overlaps with AMB's transit/douane and affrètement routier services, though at vastly greater international scale.

Regional players

• Groupe Charles André: French family-owned logistics group providing bulk transport, port handling, and industrial logistics. Comparable to AMB in offering bulk cargo handling and multimodal transport, primarily serving French and Mediterranean markets.
• Terminaux de Normandie (Le Havre terminal operators): Operators of container and bulk terminals at the Port of Le Havre, France's largest container port. Directly comparable to AMB in offering stevedoring, storage, and multimodal services at a French commercial port, though at much larger scale.

Others

• ID Logistics: International contract logistics group with significant warehousing and transportation operations. Adjacent to AMB's stockage and affrètement routier activities, though focused on contract logistics rather than port-centric services.

Direct peers

• SOGESTRAN: French maritime group providing inland waterway transport, port logistics, and shipping agency services across multiple French locations. Comparable to AMB in offering integrated maritime logistics and consignation services, with complementary multimodal capabilities.
• Groupe Sea-Invest: European port terminal operator specialized in bulk, agri-bulk, and container handling across multiple ports. Directly comparable to AMB in providing integrated terminal services for bulk and break-bulk cargo at European seaports.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/amb-agence-maritime-brestoise

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 AMB - Agence Maritime Brestoise