by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor

Container liner Hapag-Lloyd is grappling with an ongoing legal dispute over its partial stake in a terminal at the Port of Genoa.

According to German media DVZ, the Genoa terminal, operated by the Spinelli Group with 49% stakes held by Hapag-Lloyd, has been under scrutiny since October 2024.

The carrier's competitor, Port of Singapore Authority (PSA), argued that the terminal was being used primarily for container handling instead of the designated multi-purpose cargo operations outlined in the port's master plan.

This led to a premature termination of the terminal's concession, writes DVZ.

Although initially set to last until 2056, the concession will now expire at the end of June 2025.

The extension comes with stricter conditions stipulating that the area must prioritise non-containerised cargo handling. Spinelli has appealed the decision, prolonging the uncertainty.

Hapag-Lloyd has voiced its concerns, emphasising the strategic significance of the Genoa terminal and its substantial investment of hundreds of millions of euros.

The group has called for the Italian government to resolve the issue, warning that the concession's expiration could undermine its investment plans in Italy.

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