Northport (Malaysia) Bhd (“Northport”), a subsidiary of MMC Port Holdings Berhad (“MMC Ports”), has been chosen by Tailwind Shipping Lines (“Tailwind”) as its Intra-Asia Regional Hub. A launch ceremony, graced by YB Tuan Loke Siew Fook, Minister of Transport Malaysia, was held at Northport. Also present at the ceremony were Ms. Ulrike Wolf, Deputy Head of Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to Malaysia, Dato’ Seri Jana Santhiran Muniayan, Secretary General of the Ministry of Transport Malaysia and Capt. K. Subramaniam General Manager of Port Klang Authority, together with senior officials from Malaysian Government agencies, industry partners, customers and port stakeholders.
“The establishment of Tailwind’s Intra-Asia Regional Hub at Northport reflects the strong confidence that international players have in Malaysia’s ports, infrastructure, and logistics capabilities. The Ministry of Transport remains committed to fostering a conducive environment for international shipping lines to thrive in Malaysia. Through continuous improvements in port efficiency, digitalisation and sustainability, we aim to further strengthen Malaysia’s position as a leading regional maritime and logistics hub,” said YB Tuan Loke Siew Fook, Minister of Transport Malaysia.
The German-based container carrier Tailwind was founded in 2022 by one of Europe’s leading discount retailers, Lidl. Its Panda Express Service (PAX) connects China and Europe via a stop at Port Klang. Including the Malaysian port in the sailing schedule as the PAX’s last port of call in Asia underlines the company’s commitment to making the international supply chains even more resilient and stronger – especially for time-critical goods. At Northport, Tailwind also offers transhipment of goods to and from its Tiger Express Service (TEX), which sails between Port Klang, Colombo, Chattogram and Ho Chi Minh.
“Northport has the robust, well-established infrastructure needed for dependable, high-volume operations. It is a port built for performance, and that is why it is the ideal partner for Tailwind,” said Christian Stangl, CEO of Tailwind Shipping Lines. “Our aim is to secure international supply chains and strengthen our parent company’s sovereignty. This is a promise we offer to all our customers. Northport is more than a service provider to us. We have found a team that thinks ahead and acts proactively to find solutions. In short: it is an ecosystem of reliability.”
Tailwind currently operates a fleet of 11 vessels connecting Asia to Europe via:
• Panda Express Service (PAX) sailing from China to the Mediterranean with a stop at its new regional hub at Northport, Port Klang
• Tiger Express Service (TEX) connecting Bangladesh, Malaysia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka
• The Dolphin Express Service (DEX) transports goods between Barcelona in Spain and Moerdijk in the Netherlands. On its south-bound leg, it has been recently expanded to a European short sea service calling also at ports in Belgium, Portugal, Spain and Morrocco
With its focus on speed, reliability and schedule consistency, Tailwind has selected Northport as its Intra-Asia Regional Hub, underscoring the confidence it places in Port Klang, Malaysia’s leading gateway port.
This development comes at a timely moment for Port Klang, which was recently ranked 10th in the Lloyd’s List 2025 Top 100 Ports, cementing its position among the world’s top ten busiest container ports for the first time.
“The launch of Tailwind’s Intra Asia Regional Hub at Port Klang marks a significant milestone, not only for Tailwind and Northport but also for Malaysia’s maritime industry. This initiative strengthens Port Klang’s role as a regional hub and highlights the value of collaboration between global shipping lines and Malaysian ports in enhancing connectivity, resilience, and sustainable growth. At MMC Ports, we view this partnership as a strong vote of confidence in our operational efficiency, service reliability and commitment to continuous improvement. We look forward to supporting Tailwind’s growth and delivering greater value to their customers, while contributing to Malaysia’s aspiration of becoming a leading maritime nation.” said Dato’ Azman Shah Mohd Yusof, Chief Executive Officer of MMC Ports.
The partnership between Northport and Tailwind is expected to further enhance Port Klang’s position as Malaysia’s premier maritime gateway and preferred logistics hub for the Asian region, offering faster connections, greater supply chain reliability and stronger links between Asia and Europe.
Source: Northport (Malaysia) Bhd
