PORTLINE was established in 1984 by the Portuguese Government to meet the needs of the country by guaranteeing autonomy in the supply and transport of the major dry bulk commodities, thus supporting the country's economical development. Portline inherited the know-how and work force of two former Portuguese state-owned companies, CNN - Companhia Nacional de Navegação  SA and CTM - Companhia Portuguesa de Transportes Marítimos SA, extinct in the late '80s, as well as a long tradition in marine trade, whose origin dates back to the fifteenth century.