Maersk plans to give up two berths in Taiwan -report
TAIPEI, July 9 (Reuters) - Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk (MAERSKb.CO) plans to give up two berths in Kaohsiung, Taiwan's biggest port, when their leases expire by the end of October, local media reported on Wednesday, in the harbour's latest loss to regional rivals.
Maersk, the largest foreign operator in Kaohsiung port, intends to give up berths 118 and 119, leaving it with berths 76 and 77, the Chinese-language Economic Daily reported, without citing sources.
The move is likely to further hurt Kaohsiung's declining position as one of Asia's top ports.
The report said Kaohsiung port officials were considering other proposals to try to help Maersk reduce its costs, with one saying he was "very confident" of convincing the company to retain a larger presence.
The 143-year-old southern harbour has been losing ground to fast growing rivals across the straits in China. The global container shipping industry has been under pressure amid a slowing world economy and rising fuel prices. Kaohsiung slid two places to become the world's No. 8 busiest container port last year, surpassed by Rotterdam and Dubai. It moved a total of 10.26 million twenty foot equivalent units of goods in 2007, up about 5 percent year on year. (Reporting by Doug Young; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree)
