Consolidation in Rotterdam box handling

Hutchison Ports Netherlands, a subsidiary of Hutchison Ports, has signed an agreement to acquire the Rotterdam container terminal operated by A.P. Moller-Maersk-owned APM Terminals.

The financial details of the transaction have not been disclosed.

APM Terminals Rotterdam (APMTR) is located adjacent to Hutchison Ports’existing ECT Delta terminal in the Maasvlakte area of Europe’s largest port. It has 1,600 metres of deep-water quay serviced by 13 ship-to-shore gantry cranes.

Commenting on the divestment, Rolf Nielsen, head of Hub Terminals APMT said: “We are pleased to announce our divestment of APMTR to Hutchison Ports. Over the past eighteen months, the various parties have worked intensively and constructively together with all relevant parties, including APMTR’s works council and trade union  s, to complete the transaction. The sale gives APMTR the best possible future with a good security for jobs for its employees.”

For his part, Clemence Cheng, managing director of Hutchison Ports Europe said: “We are delighted to strengthen further our presence in the Port of Rotterdam. We already handle the majority of containers in the port through ECT’s Delta and Euromax terminals. The addition of APMTR will further enhance our ability to offer a first class and flexible service to our customers.”

He added: “We will continue to serve Maersk Line’s existing business at the terminal and will work with the workforce to develop the customer and volume base to meet growing demand.  We have the opportunity to redevelop and enhance the facility in the future and look forward to continuing to grow our business in the port.”

Hutchison Ports has a network of port operations in 53 ports spanning 27 countries throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the Americas and Australasia. In 2020, it handled a combined throughput of 83.7 million TEU.

APM Terminals has 75 terminals in its global network, operated either exclusively or together with a joint