APM Terminals ink $550m deal for Laldia Container Terminal development

The company will operate the terminal for 30 years.

APM Terminals and Bangladesh’s Chittagong Port Authority have signed a $550m investment deal for the improvement of the Laldia Container Terminal in Chattogram.

The concession agreement will allow APM Terminals to operate the terminal for a period of 30 years, which can be extended based on KPIs. The Laldia Container Terminal will be fully designed, financed, built and operated by the investors.

“This greenfield project enables us to play an active role in supporting the growth of the local manufacturers, exporters, importers and the broader Bangladeshi economy,” said Keith Svendsen, CEO, APM Terminals.

The project is part of the Sustainable Green Framework Engagement between Denmark and Bangladesh, a bilateral initiative aimed at fostering green investment, job creation and sustainable economic relations.

“Laldia will be the country’s first green port and the single largest European foreign direct investment in Bangladesh. This landmark collaboration with APM Terminals will unlock new capacity for our exporters, reduce logistics bottlenecks and enhance our competitiveness in global markets,” said Honourable Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh, Professor Muhammad Yunus.

Once operational in 2030, the terminal will expand Bangladesh’s annual port handling capacity by over 800,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), improving the country’s global trade efficiency and connectivity.

The new deep-water facility will, over time, allow the Port of Chattogram to handle vessels potentially up to 6,000 TEU, compared to the current limit of 2,800 TEU. This advancement will reduce congestion, lower logistics costs for supply chain actors and support the continued growth of the export sector.