Kaohsiung Port Terminal Development Succeeds: Non-Ferrous Metal Hub to Attract COMEX

Taiwan International Ports Corporation, Kaohsiung Branch, announced today (28) that, as part of integrating the backland area of the fourth container terminal, it has launched a public invitation to develop the backland area of Terminal 121. The plan involves inviting private enterprises to invest in and construct logistics warehouses. Gaoqun Company has already been selected as the preferred investor. Going forward, the port will leverage its status as a London Metal Exchange (LME) delivery port to attract the New York Mercantile Exchange (COMEX), thereby strengthening connectivity with global metal futures financial markets and further elevating Kaohsiung Port’s status as a regional logistics hub in the Asia-Pacific.

According to Taiwan International Ports Corporation, Terminal 121 has been transformed into a multi-purpose terminal with a water depth of 13.5 meters, providing favorable conditions for berthing large vessels. To maintain the terminal’s public functions, approximately 1.5 hectares of the backland area will be reserved for public cargo handling operations and vehicle traffic routes, while the remaining space is being released for commercial development. The total development area spans 8.3 hectares, making it one of the few large-scale development sites within Kaohsiung Port.

Established in 2005 with approval to operate as a free trade zone enterprise, Gaoqun Company primarily engages in the storage and transshipment of non-ferrous metals, pulp, and steel coils. Its warehousing network spans across the Kaohsiung Port area, including the Zhongshan Commercial Port Zone, Nansing Free Trade Port Zone, and the Fourth Container Terminal. In addition to free trade zone operations, the company has deep expertise in vessel loading/unloading and logistics services, flexibly meeting diverse cargo handling and storage needs.

Since 2013, Kaohsiung Port has served as a delivery port for the London Metal Exchange (LME), the world’s largest base metals trading market. To date, six major international LME-certified warehousing companies have partnered with six free trade zone enterprises to invest and develop the non-ferrous metals industry. Gaoqun Company officially signed its contract with the Kaohsiung Branch of Taiwan International Ports Corporation on June 24 of this year.

The port authority emphasized that warehouse and logistics facilities will be developed in phases. By leveraging Kaohsiung Port’s status as an LME delivery port and building upon the three existing warehouses at the backland of Terminal 122, the port aims to attract a second entity from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group (CME Group)—COMEX—to establish operations in Kaohsiung. As of February 26, 2026, three warehouse facilities within Kaohsiung Port have officially obtained aluminum delivery qualifications from the exchange.

The corporation expects that attracting both LME and CME Group—the world’s top two international metal futures trading systems—will create synergies for the storage, transshipment, and dispatch of international metal commodities, thereby enhancing Kaohsiung Port’s global competitiveness. It will also provide domestic metal-consuming industries with stable hedging channels, effectively reducing their operational risks and logistics costs. Furthermore, the expansion of base metal warehousing and transshipment operations is expected to stimulate the development of related industries such as transportation, cargo handling, customs clearance, and tallying, generating employment opportunities within the port supply chain and revitalizing Kaohsiung Port’s growth momentum.