Italian shipping magnate Gianluigi Aponte is set to take control of the Port of Felixstowe – Britain’s busiest container terminal – as part of a £18 billion deal to buy 45 ports from Hong Kong billionaire Sir Li Ka-shing.
The move will see Aponte’s Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) become the world’s largest port operator, cementing the company’s rise after it overtook Danish rival Maersk last year as the top global shipping line.
Felixstowe, located on the Suffolk coast, handles more than a third of the UK’s container trade but has faced criticism for outdated infrastructure and underinvestment. The port’s last major expansion came in 1982, and it has struggled with congestion and delays in recent years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Local businesses and officials have welcomed the news of new ownership, hoping it will breathe new life into the port and help secure government support for much-needed infrastructure upgrades.
Mark Ling, managing director of Felixstowe-based logistics firm ICE Transport, said: “Felixstowe is a little bit like the port where time stood still. Hopefully this change will bring spark and drive and energy to the port.”
Felixstowe’s mayor, David Rowe, stressed the town’s heavy economic reliance on the port and called for improved road and rail links. He noted that delays in upgrading transport infrastructure had cost the economy around £200 million in lost trade annually.
The Suffolk Chamber of Commerce echoed these sentiments, expressing hope that new investment under MSC’s ownership would strengthen the case for enhanced rail connections between Felixstowe and key industrial regions like the Midlands and the North.
MSC has not yet outlined its specific plans for Felixstowe, but industry figures are optimistic that the port could benefit from the company’s track record of rapid expansion and operational improvements.
Aponte, now 84, began his career as a ferry boat captain and founded MSC in 1970 after purchasing his first cargo ship. His latest acquisition marks a major milestone in a career that has reshaped global shipping — and could soon reshape the future of Britain’s busiest port.
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