APM Terminals North America Inc, the terminal operating arm of Danish shipping giant AP Moller-Maersk, is believed to be looking into the possibility of constructing a US$250 million box handling facility in Coos Bay, Oregon, according to UK Port World.

The proposal to build a container terminal at the Oregon International port of Coos Bay was revealed by US Senator Joanne Verger in a bid to ward off any scepticism regarding the investment, reported Thomson Financial.

"The people from the port of Coos Bay have signed a confidentiality agreement," said Ms Verger, who is currently sponsoring a bill to use $60 million of Oregon Lottery money to help finance a project to widen and deepen Coos Bay's lower shipping channel by 2014. "So they will not tell you the name of the company. I am not sworn to confidentiality."

Maersk and Coos Bay officials are said to be conducting secret talks and both sides are refusing to confirm or deny the rumours surrounding the potential deal. Port officials will not reveal whether Maersk is the shipping company involved in the port project which is said to have been code-named "April".