by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor

French liner CMA CGM has shown interest in acquiring a stake in CK Hutchison's global ports business after exclusive negotiations between the Hong Kong conglomerate and a BlackRock-TiL consortium ended earlier this week.

The initial port sale plans, announced in March, aimed to transfer 80% of Hutchison Ports' global portfolio, which includes 43 terminals across 23 countries, to the TiL-BlackRock consortium, excluding assets in Hong Kong and mainland China.

However, the 145-day exclusivity window for the USD 22.8 billion ports deal expired on 27 July due to opposition in Beijing and regulatory hurdles in Panama.

CMA CGM stepped in and expressed interest in participating in the process, stating, "It's very important for the industry, and it's important for us as a major player in this sector."

According to online media World Cargo, the Hong Kong group confirmed on Monday that discussions were ongoing with consortium members and that a restructured agreement was being developed. The agreement is likely to include key strategic investors from mainland China, such as China COSCO Shipping.

Analysts believe that this constitutes a good opportunity for CMA CGM to gain access to key gateway markets.

These developments add to the rivalry among giant container liners, including MSC and Maersk, who also seek to secure strong positions in key global terminals.