Compagnie Maritime Belge
Compagnie Maritime Belge is a Belgian maritime group founded in Antwerp in 1895, with activities spanning dry-bulk shipping and related transport businesses.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Compagnie Maritime Belge (CMB) is one of Antwerp’s historic ship-owning groups. Established in 1895 as the Compagnie Belge Maritime du Congo, it was created to provide a regular maritime connection between Antwerp and the Congo Free State at the request of King Leopold II, with backing from British investors. Its first Congo-bound vessel, Léopoldville, sailed from Antwerp on 6 February 1895. For approximately six decades, the company’s Congo services were a highly visible part of Antwerp’s port activity. The company adopted the name Compagnie Maritime Belge after acquiring Lloyd Royal Belge in 1930. The enlarged organization expanded beyond the Congo trade, opening services to destinations in the Americas and the Far East. Its history also includes the loss of the 1928-built Léopoldville during the Second World War. On 24 December 1944, while carrying the American 66th Infantry Division, the ship was torpedoed and sank in less than three hours. The disaster caused the deaths of 763 American soldiers and 56 crew members. After the war, CMB renewed its fleet and operated cargo-passenger liners including Jadotville, introduced in 1956, and Baudouinville, introduced in 1957. Both ships were sold to P&O in 1961 and renamed Chitral and Cathay for service in the Far East. During the postwar restructuring of the shipping industry, CMB progressively shifted away from its historic liner and general maritime profile. It acquired Armement Deppe in 1960 and entered dry-bulk shipping in 1962. Its investment in Bocimar began as a minority position in 1975 and became a majority interest in 1982. CMB also diversified into port handling, logistics, container shipping, aviation and tanker shipping. In 1988 it acquired Hessenatie, an Antwerp cargo and container-handling company. In 1995, half of CMB Transport was sold to Safmarine. The group exited the liner sector in 1999 through the sale of the African network of AMI and increasingly concentrated on bulk shipping. In the same year it obtained full control of Euronav, a crude-oil tanker operator, although the relationship between CMB and Euronav subsequently changed over time. The group’s principal maritime operating identity in the reference material is Bocimar, which operates dry-bulk vessels ranging from Handysize to Capesize and transports commodities such as coal, iron ore and grain. Its customers and commercial relationships have included participants in the steel and energy industries, particularly in Japan. CMB also developed container and logistics activities through Delphis, and owned ASL Aviation, an Ireland-registered aviation group serving express-delivery and cargo customers. CMB has been controlled by members of the Saverys family, who also hold significant interests in other shipping businesses, including Exmar and Euronav. The group’s later activities include investment in lower-emission maritime technology. In 2020, the HydroTug, described in the reference material as the first hydrogen-powered tugboat, was announced for deployment in the Port of Antwerp. CMB is therefore best understood not as a consumer-facing product brand but as the corporate identity of a long-established Belgian shipping and transport group whose business has evolved from colonial-era liner services into specialized maritime transport, especially dry bulk.
History
Compagnie Maritime Belge originated in Antwerp in 1895 as the Compagnie Belge Maritime du Congo. The company was formed to establish a maritime route linking Belgium with the Congo Free State, with political support from Leopold II and financial support from British investors. Its vessel Léopoldville made the first departure from Antwerp for the Congo on 6 February 1895. The Congo service became a defining part of the company’s identity and remained a regular presence in Antwerp for about sixty years. In 1930, the company acquired Lloyd Royal Belge and adopted the name Compagnie Maritime Belge. The combination gave CMB a larger fleet and supported expansion into routes serving the Americas and the Far East. Its wartime history includes the sinking of Léopoldville on 24 December 1944. The vessel, built in 1928, was transporting the American 66th Infantry Division when it was torpedoed and sank in under three hours, resulting in 763 American military deaths and the deaths of 56 crew members. Following the Second World War, CMB introduced new cargo-passenger vessels, including Jadotville and Baudouinville. The two liners entered service in 1956 and 1957 respectively, but were sold to P&O in 1961 and renamed Chitral and Cathay. CMB’s business subsequently moved toward diversified maritime transport. Armement Deppe was acquired in 1960, and the company entered dry-bulk shipping in 1962. The dry-bulk business became increasingly important through the development of Bocimar. CMB first acquired a minority interest in Bocimar in 1975 and increased that interest to a majority by 1982. Bocimar’s activities centered on the ocean transport of coal, ores and grains using bulk carriers from Handysize to Capesize. Its commercial portfolio included customers in the steel and energy sectors, with Japan identified as an important market. The group also expanded into Antwerp cargo and container handling through its 1988 acquisition of Hessenatie. CMB’s liner and logistics structure changed during the 1990s. In July 1991, Société Générale de Belgique sold its CMB stake to Almabo and Exmar, led by Marc Saverys. In 1995, half of CMB Transport was sold to Safmarine. In 1999, the sale of AMI’s African network ended CMB’s participation in the liner sector, leaving the group more focused on bulk-carrier activities. That year CMB also gained full control of Euronav, a crude-oil tanker operator. The group maintained a broader transport portfolio through Delphis and ASL Aviation. Delphis was established in 2004 as a regional container-shipping company with offices in Antwerp and Oslo. It later developed logistics activities, acquired Team Lines and acquired the Sjursoya container terminal in Oslo. ASL Aviation, originally founded as Air Bridge Carriers in the United Kingdom, became associated with CMB after a 1998 consortium transaction and was wholly owned by CMB after Imperial sold its interest in 2007. The aviation group operated and managed freighter and passenger aircraft for express and cargo customers. CMB remained associated with the Saverys family and with other Saverys-linked shipping interests, including Exmar and Euronav. The group also pursued maritime technology with lower environmental impact. In 2020, the HydroTug was announced for deployment in Antwerp, linking CMB’s historic port presence with an effort to develop hydrogen-powered harbor craft. The available material does not establish a complete current corporate structure or a definitive present-day list of operating subsidiaries, so those aspects require review.
- 2020
HydroTug deployment announced
[1]A hydrogen-powered tugboat was announced for deployment in the Port of Antwerp.
- 2004
Delphis established
[1]Delphis was founded as a regional container-shipping company with Antwerp and Oslo offices.
- 1999
Exit from liner activities and expansion in tanker shipping
[1]The sale of AMI’s African network ended CMB’s liner-sector participation, while the group gained full control of Euronav.
- 1991
Saverys-linked acquisition of CMB stake
[1]Société Générale de Belgique sold its CMB shares to Almabo and Exmar, led by Marc Saverys.
- 1988
Acquisition of Hessenatie
[1]CMB acquired the Antwerp general-cargo and container-handling company Hessenatie.
- 1982
Majority control of Bocimar
[1]CMB increased its Bocimar interest to a majority position.
- 1975
Minority investment in Bocimar
[1]CMB acquired a minority interest in the dry-bulk tramping company Bocimar.
- 1962
Entry into dry-bulk shipping
[1]CMB entered the dry-bulk trade, a sector that later became central to the group through Bocimar.
- 1944
Léopoldville sunk during the Second World War
[1]The troopship was torpedoed on 24 December while carrying the American 66th Infantry Division.
- 1930
Merger with Lloyd Royal Belge
[1]Following the acquisition of Lloyd Royal Belge, the company adopted the CMB name and expanded its route network.
Products and positioning
A long-established Belgian ship-owning and transport group positioned around maritime asset ownership, bulk commodity transportation and related logistics capabilities, with a later emphasis on specialized shipping and lower-emission technologies.
Dry-bulk shipping · 1975
Bocimar
Bocimar is CMB’s dry-bulk shipping business. Its fleet has included Handysize, Panamax and Capesize bulk carriers used to transport commodities such as coal, ores and grains. The business serves customers in steel and energy markets and has maintained commercial and operating links in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Delhi and other shipping centers. Vessels may be owned, jointly owned or chartered, and have carried Mineral, CMB or FMG prefixes depending on their operating arrangement.
Container shipping and logistics · 2004
Delphis
Delphis was founded in 2004 as a regional container-shipping company headquartered in Antwerp, with an additional office in Oslo. Its activities included container-vessel operation, European logistics through Delphis Logistics, ownership of Team Lines and ownership of the Sjursoya container terminal in Oslo. The reference material describes a fleet of owned and chartered vessels in the feeder and regional-container segment.
Air cargo and aircraft management · 1998
ASL Aviation
ASL Aviation is an Ireland-registered aviation group that CMB acquired through a consortium transaction in 1998 and later wholly owned. It owned, operated and managed freighter and passenger aircraft, serving major express and logistics customers. The historical fleet included Airbus, ATR, Boeing, Lockheed Hercules and Fokker aircraft. The available material does not confirm the group’s current ownership or operating status.
Passenger and cargo liner service · 1895
Historical Congo liner service
CMB’s original service connected Antwerp with the Congo Free State and remained a central part of its operations for roughly sixty years. After the 1930 Lloyd Royal Belge acquisition, the company also opened routes to the Americas and the Far East. Postwar cargo-passenger liners included Jadotville and Baudouinville, both later sold to P&O in 1961.
Brand decisions
2020
Hydrogen-powered tugboat deploymentProduct launchBackground
Ports and ship operators were exploring lower-emission propulsion technologies for harbor craft.
Action taken
The HydroTug was announced for deployment in the Port of Antwerp.
Aftermath
The project linked CMB’s Antwerp port operations with hydrogen-based maritime technology, although the available material does not document later operating results.
1999
Strategic withdrawal from liner shippingStrategyBackground
CMB’s historical liner network was being reduced as the group reorganized its transport portfolio.
Action taken
The sale of AMI’s African network ended the group’s participation in the liner sector and increased its focus on bulk-carrier activities.
Aftermath
CMB’s identity became more closely associated with dry-bulk shipping and other specialized transport interests.
Sources1 sources
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