To date the Ports of Genoa lead the way: 30% of Italy’s trade with China is currently channelled through the Ligurian port, and the market share is set to increase with the forthcoming completion of the new Calata Bettolo Container Terminal ...

October 15, 2020 - For example, despite the March 2019 MoU with the port of Genoa, CCCC did not actually win the public bid for the construction of the new breakwater dam. In conclusion, foreign investments always carry a risk and undeniably, there have been instances in which Chinese investments have led to an excessive ownership of strategic infrastructure by the Chinese counterpart.

January 14, 2026 - The Port of Genoa is one of Italy's principal seaports. In 2024, its trade volume reached approximately 64.5 million tonnes, making it one of the busiest ports in the country—second only to the Port of Trieste in total cargo tonnage.

Trieste in the Italy–China MoU of March 201917 – and one might wonder why the · MoU was struck with it rather than an established maritime-operations company · such as COSCO. The answer is that neither Genoa nor Trieste were looking for · collaborations directly on their ports: Genoa was considering Chinese investment

April 13, 2021 - To move forward with the project, ... owned the majority share (50.1%), while the two Chinese partners respectively held 40% and 9.9%....

May 3, 2021 - In March 2019, Italy signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in support of PRC President Xi Jinping’s flagship infrastructure and connectivity project, the Belt and Road Initiative. The MoU was accompanied by a series of commercial agreements, including two between the ports of Genoa and Trieste and the state-owned enterprise China Communications Construction Company (CCCC).

February 22, 2022 - The White House National Security Council Spokesman, Garrett Marquis, warned Italian government about the negative effects of “China’s infrastructure diplomacy”, while Trump administration officials met with national right-wing party leaders to clarify the dangers of deals with China (Ghiglione, Hornby, Peel, Sevastopulo, 2019). When asked about the role of ports for China’s BRI, Robert Needham, US Consul General in Milan since October 2021, remembered that harbours of Genoa and Trieste are "key to economic relations" between Italy and USA, something not to be touched.

Info Il porto di Genova Genoa ranks as a modern multi-service port boasting a wide selection of specialised terminals, managed by the top international te

March 22, 2019 - Paolo Emilio Signorini, president of the Port Authority of the Port of Genoa, noted that Chinese investment endowed the Vado Ligure port with a new look. Thanks to the COSCO fleet, more and more cargos were entering the port, which further facilitated the development of local logistics industry, created more jobs, and injected impetus to the economy of Genoa, he said. “The construction of the Vado Ligure port is an important part to improve the supply chain in northern Italy, Switzerland and southern Germany, and the port will possess a vital strategic position in the Liguria region, greatly improving the efficiency of the terminals.” said Giovanni Toti, president of Liguria.

October 21, 2022 - In addition, foreign investment does not count against Italy’s deficit under EU rules, making it even more attractive. Chinese companies already run Piraeus, the Athenian seaport that has been in the hands of Cosco for five years. Yet Chinese offers to invest in the key maritime hubs of Genoa and Trieste through China Communication Construction Company have been frozen since the US Department of Commerce blacklisted the Chinese company.

July 21, 2023 - With the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which positions Italy as a bridge between Europe and the Mediterranean area, Italian ports have been competing to

June 20, 2020 - When Italy signed up to the China Belt Road Initiative in 2019, it had dreams of becoming the key gateway for China into the Baltic, Adriatic, and Euro trading zone. The Port of Trieste, being a key component of the deal, envisaged a future state in which it would become the future maritime hub for …

September 27, 2020 - The Port of Genoa is the busiest facility of its kind in Italy with a yearly trade volume of 51.6 million tonnes. The port can accommodate the movement of up to 4 million ferry passengers, 1.5 million cars, and 250,000 trucks every year.

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November 7, 2025 - For Genoa, after record highs in volumes for 2021 and 2022, volumes in 2023 were back to the level of those of 2018 (Figure 3). Of course, an MoU by nature is not binding. Besides, research also suggests complex administrative and political factors behind the limited tangible Chinese engagement in these two ports[4].

September 3, 2019 - China is Italy's largest trading partner in Asia, with bilateral trade growing 9.1 percent to $54.24 billion last year. The ongoing construction in Vado Ligure is the largest program for Italian ports. "Chinese investments, like the one in Vado Ligure, are necessary; if we want to develop a ...

March 20, 2019 - A deal on the ports is expected to be on the agenda when Chinese President Xi Jinping heads to Rome this week for talks with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. The northwestern city of Genoa, Italy’s biggest seaport, said it would sign cooperation agreements with China, while in the south the Sicilian port of Palermo – which Xi is expected to visit this weekend – is the focus of Rome’s efforts to attract Chinese shipping operators.

March 21, 2019 - Italy's government is headed squarely for a deal with China on direct investment in as many as four major seaports, explicitly endorsing Beijing's "belt and road" economic development program. "Our ports - I am thinking in particular those of Genoa and Trieste - can apply for the role of terminals in Europe for the New Silk Road," said Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte last week.

May 21, 2018 - To date, the Ports of Genoa handle 30% of total maritime traffic between Italy and China, an annual volume of approximately 25 million tonnes which is set to increase thanks to the extensive liner service network connecting Genoa to the Far ...

October 8, 2025 - What is the Port of Genoa? The Port of Genoa is one of the most important and historically significant seaports in Europe. It is located in the northern Italian city of Genoa on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the largest port in Italy in terms of cargo volume and a key hub... View Article