De Jong Shipping Group has taken a strategic minority stake in TransMatch, merging push barge and motor vessel fleets across the ARA and Belgian inland shipping markets.
Rotterdam | May 22, 2026 – European logistics provider De Jong Shipping Group has formally acquired a strategic minority stake in TransMatch, effective retroactively from January 1, 2026. The landmark transaction marks De Jong Shipping Group’s first structural foothold in the tightly knit, family-dominated Belgian inland shipping market, drastically expanding its operational footprint across Northwest Europe.
The partnership aligns the distinct asset profiles of both companies to build an agile, cross-border network capable of navigating the increasingly complex and volatile Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) shipping and dry bulk corridors.
Unlocking Multi-Modal Inland Synergy: Push Barges Meet Motor Vessels
The core commercial driver behind the acquisition is the highly complementary nature of the two companies’ fleets. De Jong Shipping Group holds a commanding position in large-scale push barge shipping, which excels at moving massive industrial cargo volumes. Conversely, TransMatch has built a rapid-response reputation utilizing a growing fleet of specialized motor vessels, which offer superior maneuverability and speed for regional distribution.
By combining these two asset classes, the unified network can dynamically shift tonnage based on real-time market demands, water levels, and port congestion.
Pelger de Jong, of De Jong Shipping, emphasized that adding collaborative value overrides simply buying up more uncommitted vessels in an already crowded sector “We see cooperation as a more effective way to grow than adding capacity in an already competitive market. TransMatch has a strong position in Belgian inland shipping and is deeply embedded in the local network. That combination of entrepreneurship and market knowledge fits well with our own way of working. This step enables us to further strengthen our position in inland shipping in a focused way and broaden our services further.”
Stabilizing Supply Chains in a Volatile ARA Market
The inland shipping and bunkering sectors across the ARA hub have faced severe pricing swings driven by fluctuating fuel costs, changing environmental regulations, and seasonal water-level bottlenecks.
By integrating TransMatch’s expanding, company-owned fleet into De Jong’s broader regional network, the partnership introduces an important physical hedge for charterers. Relying on controlled tonnage rather than spot-market availability allows the joint operation to provide more stable pricing structures, guaranteed capacity, and optimized cargo routing through the Rhine, Moselle, and Northern French canal networks.
Lazlo Albrecht of TransMatch noted that the cultural alignment between the two family-owned businesses will protect their localized service quality while scaling up market power “For us, this collaboration feels like a logical next step. Both De Jong Shipping Group and TransMatch are family businesses with a strong anchoring in the inland shipping sector. We share the same vision on entrepreneurship: short lines of communication, flexibility and focus on long-term relationships. By joining forces, we can accelerate further growth while at the same time maintaining our own identity and way of working. This collaboration creates additional opportunities for customers, vessel owners and partners in a rapidly evolving market.”
Company Profiles
De Jong Shipping Group
De Jong Shipping Group is a prominent European inland and push barge shipping operator specializing in the transport of dry bulk and diverse cargo flows. Beyond its core inland waterways network, the group provides integrated deep-sea shipping and comprehensive port agency services internationally under the commercial banner C-Shipping & Logistics.
TransMatch
Headquartered in Wijnegem, Belgium, TransMatch is an agile, fast-operating inland shipping company commanding a growing proprietary fleet and an extensive commercial network across Belgium, Northern France, and the wider ARA region. The firm is recognized for its entrepreneurial approach to regional tonnage management and local value-chain integration.
Source: TransMatch | De Jong Shipping Group