After three years of close partnership developing the Hateco Hai Phong International Container Terminal (HHIT) in Vietnam, APM Terminals has joined as a 49% minority shareholder of the terminal and operating partner alongside the Hateco Group.

The terminal went from greenfield development to operational readiness and now handles vessels of up to 18,000 TEU.

HHIT is a large deep-water port in North Vietnam, comprising two new deep-water berths at the Lach Huyen area of Hai Phong City.

Its strategic geographical location supports direct import and export of goods to and from the north of Vietnam and European and American markets.

Jon Goldner, chief executive Asia & Middle East of APM Terminals, said: “It is with great pride that we have developed our strategic partnership with Hateco, and with this joint venture we underline our long-term commitment to the country of Vietnam.”

“We highly value and acknowledge how the terminal has developed under the leadership of the Hateco-team and look forward to building on this while further investing in being the best partner to Vietnam,” he added.

The terminal has been chosen as part of the Gemini Cooperation, the new East-West network operated by container shipping majors Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd.