Italy’s main hub of container transhipment in the port of Gioia Tauro is 100% controlled by MSC Group as of April 1. Contship Italia and Terminal Investment has announced to have formally reached an agreement for the sale of the remaining 50% stake of CSM Italia Gate, owned by Contship Italia, to Itaterminaux, a fully controlled subsidiary of Terminal Investment.
Closing is subject to regulatory approvals and the parties involved are not disclosing terms.
In Italy, MSC controls or participates in several container terminals such as Calata Bettolo and Intermodal Marine Terminal in Genoa, La Spezia Container Terminal in La Spezia, Lorenzini Terminal in Leghorn, Roma Terminal Container in Civitavecchia, Conateco in Naples, Medcenter Container Terminal in Gioia Tauro, Adriatic Container Terminal in Ancona, Terminal Intermodale Venezia in Venice Marghera and Trieste Marine Terminal in Trieste.
The global carrier, founded and lead by Gianluigi Aponte, has agreed with the Italian Transport minister to invest over €120m for new equipment and works at the terminal in order to reach a total annual throughput of 4m teu in two years time. Medcenter Container Terminal last year handled 2,3m teu, a 5.7% drop in volume from 2017. Development plans include also the establishment of a Special Economic Zone intended to attract further inward investment for the region.
Contship had been active in this port since 1995 and today is still operating also in Cagliari although the volumes handled are decreasing. A few days ago the labour unions warned that Hapag-Lloyd is set to leave Cagliari and, if confirmed, this would leave the port without deep sea maritime connections thus putting the terminal at risk of closure.
