Shipping industry news: Maersk CEO Mr. Vincent Clerc has called for a global port investment plan to avoid bottlenecks.
The 2025 World Maritime Merchants Conference opened in Hong Kong, China on November 17. Although the container shipping industry has responded well and shown resilience in the face of recent geopolitical crises and trade conflicts, Maersk CEO Mr. Vincent Clerc pointed out that the underdevelopment of the global port network, leading to berthing delays, could become a severe challenge.
He stated, “Ports remain one of the world’s most critical pressure points.”
He noted, “By the end of last year, the average waiting time for berths in developed countries had reached 6.4 hours, while the average waiting time in developing economies had reached 10.9 hours. According to investment forecasts, this imbalance is only set to move in the wrong direction.”
He said, “The divergence is significantly intensifying. The container fleet is expected to grow by about 5-6% annually. But at the current rate of investment, port capacity is only increasing by 2-3% per year. Although each port is designed based on local conditions, the challenge of insufficient capacity is global.”
He called for a global investment plan to avoid bottlenecks.
He explained, “In Africa, ports and infrastructure can be further expanded. Asia is the world’s most connected region, keeping pace with rapid growth, with countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, and India building new terminals.”
Besides the disconnect between these two growth rates, many ports, such as those in Latin America, are struggling to adapt to the large container ships being deployed.
Maersk Invests in Bangladesh Container Terminal
In fact, Maersk, through its APM Terminals, has reached a 30-year concession agreement with the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and local partner QNS Container Services. Under a public-private partnership model, they will design, finance, build, and operate the upcoming Laldia Container Terminal in Chittagong, with a planned investment of over $550 million.
APM Terminals CEO Keith Svendsen said, “It is a great honor to sign this agreement with Bangladesh, which highlights the enormous potential of this important market.”
The Chairman of the Chittagong Port Authority stated, “The Laldia Container Terminal will open a new chapter for the port ecosystem. Through this project, the throughput and efficiency of Chittagong Port will be significantly enhanced, which will make trade flows more dynamic.”
The Laldia Container Terminal is scheduled to commence operations in 2030. The new terminal will add an annual container throughput capacity of over 800,000 TEUs, enable the berthing of 6,000 TEU container vessels, and become the first terminal in Bangladesh to support 24/7 night navigation operations. This will further reduce congestion and enhance the efficiency and competitiveness of Bangladesh’s port logistics.
