Major portfolio activities for APM Terminals in 2013 included the opening of the 1.2 million TEU annual throughput capacity Brasil Terminal Portuário (BTP) at the Port of Santos, Brazil, in which APM Terminals holds a 50% share, and the acquisition of Russian terminal operator NCC Group Ltd. by Global Ports Investments PLC, in which APM Terminals has a 30.75% co-controlling share. Santos is the busiest container port in South America. Global Ports’ five Russian terminals now represent a combined 3.6 million TEUs of annual capacity, and approximately 40% of total Russian container throughput.
“We are making good progress toward our goal of becoming the recognized industry leader, and we will continue to invest in infrastructure in underserved and high-growth markets to provide the services our customers require as global trade continues to expand” stated APM Terminals CEO Kim Fejfer.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected global economic output to increase by 3.7% in 2014, with emerging and developing markets to grow by 5.1%. World trade in goods and services has been forecast to increase by 4.5% in 2014, and 5.2% in 2015, with emerging and developing markets again leading growth with imports of goods and services rising by 5.9% and 6.5% in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
New terminal projects secured by APM Terminals in 2013 included a new 1.5 million TEU annual throughput capacity deep-water terminal near Izmir, Turkey, and a second container terminal at the Port of Abidjan, Ivory Coast with an annual throughput capacity of 2 million TEUs.
Five facilities within the APM Terminals Global Terminal Network were cited among the world’s Top 10 most productive terminals for the first half of 2013 in a study on crane moves per hour with vessels in port conducted by the JOC Group, while safety performance improved by 28% as the Lost-Time Injury Frequency (LTIF) rate was reduced to 1.81 per million man-hours worked from 2.53 in 2012.
“The global economy is poised for increased growth in the year ahead, and so are we” observed Mr. Fejfer.