OREANDA-NEWS. August 1, 2012. Vale expects to announce the entrance of its 400,000-tonne Valemax vessels into new ports in Asia in the coming quarters, Jose Carlos Martins, director of iron ore and strategy, said during an earnings conference call.

"We are negotiating to use a port in South Korea and one in the Philippines, which is controlled by one of our largest [iron ore] clients," he told Metal Bulletin.Vale will be able to use its port in Teluk Rubiah, Malaysia, to berth its Valemax vessels from the end of 2013, he said.

The company is currently building a maritime terminal in the Asian country, with enough depth for the 400,000-dwt vessels and a stockyard, after a USD 1.37 billion investment.

Vale is continuing negotiations with the Chinese government about berthing its Valemax carriers in the country's ports, but nothing had changed so far, Martins added.

A change in China's port legislation in February this year prevented Vale from berthing its planned 35 Valemax vessels in Chinese ports, forcing the company to look for alternatives.

"But we are prepared to live with [this ban], and our complete Valemax fleet will find new ports to enter," Martins said.

Vale has been using its floating iron ore transfer station at Subic Bay in the Philippines to load its iron ore onto smaller vessels, which can enter Chinese ports.

One of Vale's Valemax ships docked at Nippon Steel's port of Oita on June 18, marking the first arrival in Japan of a 400,000-tonne carrier.