Lease of Large Lot Adjacent to Port of Kaohsiung Wharf No. 121 Sets Stage for New Nonferrous Metals Storage and Delivery Center

As part of ongoing efforts to integrate and optimize commercial land within the 4th Container Terminal, Port of Kaohsiung, TIPC recently organized an invitation to bid (ITB) on a large lot astride Wharf No. 121. Bids were specifically encouraged from private firms interested in establishing international logistics warehouse operations that would leverage the port's logistics support systems and further streamline and expand the overall warehousing / logistics ecosystem. ITB documents were issued on May 6th of this year (2026), with Kaochun Logistics & Stevedoring Co., Ltd. announced as the bid winner on June 4th.

Located within Port of Kaohsiung's 4th Container Terminal, Wharf 121 operates as a multifunctional commercial wharf, offering a water depth of 13.5m capable of accommodating large modern commercial vessels. In support of general wharf operations, Port of Kaohsiung has reserved 1.5ha of land adjacent to the wharf as public-use land for vehicle access and cargo handling needs, with the remainder designated for commercial lease. This large lot (8.3ha) is one of only a handful of large-dimension lots available for commercial development within the port. Kaochun Logistics & Stevedoring, a Port of Kaohsiung Free Trade Zone (FTZ)-licensed business since 2005, is primarily engaged in the storage and distribution of nonferrous metals, wood pulp, and steel coil within the port's FTZ. The company operates an extensive network of storage facilities at the port covering Chung-Tao, Nanxing FTZ, and 4th Container Terminal commercial zones. In addition to its FTZ business activities, Kaochun Logistics & Stevedoring is actively involved in marine cargo handling and logistics, and is sufficiently flexible to meet the handling, storage, and shipment needs of a wide range of cargoes.

Port of Kaohsiung has been an officially designated physical delivery port for the London Metals Exchange (LME), the world's largest base metal futures and options exchange, since 2013. To date, six major international LME-certified storage service providers and six Port of Kaohsiung FTZ-registered firms have worked collaboratively to expand nonferrous metals business at the port. Following its signing of the lease agreement with Port of Kaohsiung on June 24th, Kaochun Logistics & Stevedoring will now begin the multi-phase construction of new warehouse and logistics facilities. The company will leverage the port's LME physical delivery status and begin operations at the three legacy warehouse buildings onsite in partnership with CME Group subsidiary COMEX. The three warehouse facilities within Port of Kaohsiung approved to handle LME-brand aluminum on February 26th, 2026 stand well positioned to participate in the global metals futures market through COMEX, further raising Port of Kaohsiung's position as a critical Asia-Pacific transshipment hub.

Port of Kaohsiung looks forward to further raising the international competitiveness of its operations through the efficient transshipment and distribution of metal commodities via the world's two largest futures and forwards metals exchanges, LME and CME. The port also looks forward to these relationships providing to domestic industries a stable hedge against metals market volatility, reducing their business risk exposure as well as logistics-related costs. Moreover, increasing metals storage and transshipment volumes may also be expected to spur demand for transportation, stevedoring, customs clearance, and tallying services, fueling job opportunities across the port supply chain as well as overall port business growth.