Draft:Mercosul Line
Native name | Mercosul Line Navegação e Logística Ltda. |
|---|---|
| Type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Maritime transport |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Headquarters | , Brazil |
Area served | Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay |
| Parent | |
| Website | www |
Mercosul Line (legal name Mercosul Line Navegação e Logística Ltda.) is a Brazilian shipping company that carries containerized cargo along the Brazilian coast (cabotage) and to ports in Argentina and Uruguay.[1][2] Founded in 1996, it was owned by Maersk from 2006 to 2017 and has been a subsidiary of the French CMA CGM Group since December 2017.[3] Its headquarters are in Santos, São Paulo.[2] In 2021, it was one of three companies operating in Brazilian container cabotage, with 26% of the segment's transport capacity.[4]
History
[edit]Mercosul Line was founded in 1996 and acquired by the Danish group Maersk in 2006.[5][3]
In April 2017, Maersk announced that it would sell Mercosul Line to address potential competition concerns from Brazil's competition authority, the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE), over its planned acquisition of Hamburg Süd.[3] Hamburg Süd's Brazilian subsidiary, Aliança Navegação e Logística, was also active in container cabotage, and the two companies together would have controlled close to 80% of that trade.[5]
In June 2017, Maersk and CMA CGM announced an agreement for the sale of Mercosul Line; the price was not disclosed. At the time, the company operated four 2,500 TEU vessels owned by Maersk, employed 92 land-based staff and 160 seafarers, and had reported revenue of US$128 million for 2016.[5] The transaction required approval from CADE and the completion of the Hamburg Süd acquisition.[6]
In September 2017, CADE approved Maersk's acquisition of Hamburg Süd without restrictions.[7] The authority noted that Maersk's unilateral decision to divest Mercosul Line had removed the competition concerns in the cabotage market.[8][9] CMA CGM completed its acquisition of Mercosul Line on 8 December 2017.[3][1]
Operations and fleet
[edit]Mercosul Line operates container shipping services between Brazilian ports and to the main ports of Argentina and Uruguay.[2] Like the other Brazilian container cabotage operators, it also provides feeder services for import and export cargo.[4]
Its network includes Manaus, in the state of Amazonas. The New Nexco service, launched in October 2021, links the ports of Santos, Salvador, Suape and Manaus,[10] and the BRACO service calls weekly in Amazonas.[11]
In February 2020, the company's container fleet registered with the National Waterway Transportation Agency (ANTAQ) comprised the Mercosul Santos and the Mercosul Suape (both built in 2008), the Mercosul Itajaí (2015) and the Mercosul Guarani (2002).[1] In 2021, it had six ships registered.[4] In April 2023, it replaced one of the 2,500 TEU vessels on the BRACO service with the 3,800 TEU CMA CGM Santos.[11]
Market position
[edit]In 2021, three Brazilian shipping companies operated in container cabotage: Aliança Navegação e Logística, part of A.P. Moller–Maersk; Log-In Logística Intermodal, majority-owned by MSC; and Mercosul Line. Each had six ships registered. Aliança held 44% of the segment's transport capacity, Log-In 30% and Mercosul Line 26%.[4] A 2021 study based on ANTAQ fleet data described the segment as highly concentrated, using the term "asymmetric triopoly" (tripólio assimétrico).[1] The three companies cooperate on some services,[4] and vessel-sharing agreements between Mercosul Line and Log-In in cabotage have been reviewed by CADE.[9]
Environmental targets
[edit]According to the International Council on Clean Transportation, a 2022 corporate social responsibility report set targets for Mercosul Line of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, at least 10% alternative fuels in its energy mix by 2023, and 100% renewable electricity in its logistics warehouses by 2025.[4]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 Thomas, Elizabete (2021). "Cabotagem de contêineres: análise da estrutura de mercado no Brasil" [Container cabotage: an analysis of the market structure in Brazil]. Revista de Direito e Negócios Internacionais da Maritime Law Academy (in Portuguese). 1 (1): 207–231. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Diretor de Atendimento do Mercosul Line, do Grupo CMA CGM, realiza palestra na Unisanta". Notícias Unisanta (in Portuguese). Universidade Santa Cecília. 15 May 2025. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "CMA CGM finalizes Mercosul acquisition from Maersk". FreightWaves. 11 December 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Carvalho, Francielle; Costa, Gustavo (March 2024). Coastal shipping in Brazil in 2021 (Report). International Council on Clean Transportation. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 van Marle, Gavin (14 June 2017). "CMA CGM to acquire Brazilian cabotage line Mercosul from Maersk". The Loadstar. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- ↑ "CMA-CGM faz acordo para comprar Mercosul Line, unidade brasileira da Maersk Line". IstoÉ (in Portuguese). Estadão Conteúdo. 13 June 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- ↑ "Cade aprova aquisição da Hamburg Süd pela Maersk sem restrições". Exame (in Portuguese). Reuters. 22 September 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- 1 2 Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (2018). Cadernos do Cade: Mercado de transporte marítimo de contêineres (PDF) (Report) (in Portuguese). Brasília: CADE, Departamento de Estudos Econômicos. doi:10.52896/dee.cc2.018. Retrieved 28 September 2026.