New Shareholders ECT Rotterdamse Container Participatie Maatschappij, Hutchison Ports, ABN AMRO Participaties and Stichting Werknemersaandelen ECT herewith announce that they have concluded an agreement to acquire the shares of Europe Combined Terminals.

Joint Press Release New Shareholders ECT
Rotterdamse Container Participatie Maatschappij, Hutchison Ports Netherlands B.V., ABN AMRO Participaties B.V. and Stichting Werknemersaandelen ECT herewith announce that they have concluded an agreement to acquire the shares of Europe Combined Terminals B.V. (ECT).

The new shareholding will comprise: 35% RCPM, 35% Hutchison Ports Netherlands, 28% ABN AMRO Participaties and 2% Stichting Werknemersaandelen ECT.

The new acquisition qualifies as a co-operative arrangement and as such the relevant notification in accordance with the EU Regulation will take place.

RCPM is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rotterdam Municipal Port Management, which is a department of the public entity, the Municipality of Rotterdam, responsible for the development and management of the Port of Rotterdam.

Hutchison Ports Netherlands is a subsidiary of Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) which is an independent port investor, developer and operator. HPH in turn is a member of the Hutchison Whampoa Group, based in Hong Kong.

ABN AMRO Participaties is a financial investor.

The Stichting Werknemersaandelen ECT is a foundation set up for the benefit of ECT’s employees.

ECT is a company engaged in the supply of stevedoring services at certain European ports, foremost Rotterdam.

For further information, please contact,

for Rotterdam: Ms S.E.C. Kunst at tel.: 0031 10 464 24 17

for Hutchison Port Holdings: Ms N. Yong at tel. 00852 2619 7574

1/11/1999