Shanghai International Port (Group) Co, operator of China's busiest container port, wants to buy stakes in cargo terminals in Europe as it seeks its first investment outside China.

The company is considering opportunities in Europe and aims to make investments within the year, Shanghai International said in a statement on its website, without identifying the ports it's interested in. Wang Qingwei, a company spokesman, could not be reached for comment.

Shanghai International will speed up its expansion by investing outside China as port operators worldwide benefit from trade growth, which is lifting earnings and attracting takeovers. The company plans to merge with a publicly traded unit and seek its own listing, a move that would widen its funding sources in the future. About 90 percent of world trade is carried by sea.

China had an estimated trade surplus of 74.1 billion euros (US$94.7 billion) with the European Union last year. The nation's 2005 exports rose 28 percent.

Shanghai was the world's third-busiest container port by cargo volume last year. Three of the world's 20 biggest ports are in Europe, according to Containerisation International, which tracks the industry.

Shanghai International is an investor in the US$16 billion Yangshan port, which would double Shanghai's cargo capacity by 2010. The first phase of Yangshan, comprising five berths, opened in December.

The company also has a 4 billion yuan (US$500 million) venture with A.P. Moeller-Maersk A/S, the world's biggest container line, and three other companies to run the second phase of Yangshan.

Hutchison Whampoa Ltd, the world's largest port operator, and Copenhagen-based A.P. Moeller will each have 32 percent of the venture. COSCO Pacific Ltd, the world's No 5 container-terminal investor, and China Shipping (Group) Co will own 10 percent each. Shanghai International will have 16 percent.

The Chinese port operator handled 18.08 million standard 20-foot containers last year, an increase of 24 percent from 2004. The company said it made a 2005 profit of 2.16 billion yuan (US$270 million), without giving a year-earlier comparison.

Shanghai International said last month it would offer 4.5 of its own shares at 3.67 yuan (46 US cents) each, or 16.5 yuan (US$2) in cash, for every Shanghai Port Container Co share in a plan to de-list the unit. The company would then apply for a listing on the Shanghai stock exchange.

The plan would cost Shanghai International about 8.7 billion yuan (US$1.1 billion) if all the other owners of Shanghai Port Container opt for cash.

(China Daily July 4, 2006)