DUBAI-based CargoGulf has established its first presence in the Belgian market by appointing Burger Liner Agencies, part of the Royal Burger Group, as its liner service agent in Antwerp.

CargoGulf is a global NVOCC (Non Vessel Common Carrier) operator providing consolidation services across Europe, the Americas, Middle East and Asia.

The appointment is in response to strong market growth in exports from Belgium and its neighbour, France, and marks the beginning of twice-weekly sailings of a liner service from Antwerp to the Gulf, said a statement.

This complements CargoGulf’s existing liner service from Europe which started in April 2018 and has seen steady and continuing growth from all ports of loading, it said.

Burger Liner Agencies is one of Europe’s leading independent liner agencies. By drawing on its core capabilities and in-depth experience, CargoGulf will offer customers in northern Europe the efficiency of a single provider to meet all their container shipping needs to the Middle East.

Jesper Bornak, director of Burger Liner Agencies, said: “CargoGulf is a strong Middle East brand, and we are thrilled to cooperate with them. Their liner service fits perfectly into our existing portfolio of liner principals, and will complement our service offerings to our clients in Benelux.”

“There are significant synergies to be had, and the customer experience will be enhanced through this addition to our liner portfolio,” he added.

Both CargoGulf and Burger Liner Agencies are known for their operational excellence, trustworthiness and dedication to providing consistent high-quality service.

Hans-Henrik Nielsen, CargoGulf’s global director, said that Burger Liner Agencies’ strong presence and excellent track record as a reliable and commercially astute shipping company is a perfect fit with CargoGulf’s profile in the Middle East trades.

He added: “Our clients depend on us for the enhanced service levels, rapid turnaround, efficient communication, fast documentation and no-nonsense business that comes from being small and nimble and service-orientated. We look forward to building on that with the Burger Liner Agencies in Antwerp.”