THERE IS a growing battle happening behind the scenes in global ports right now, and it’s not just about moves per hour and container volumes anymore.
It is about who controls the gateways.
In Brazil, the government has effectively reopened the door for major shipping lines like MSC and Maersk to bid for a massive new container terminal at the Port of Santos, despite earlier concerns around competition and market dominance.
In simple terms, the debate has been whether shipping lines should also be allowed to own and control the terminals their vessels call at. Critics worry that gives too much power to the carriers, while supporters argue it brings investment, efficiency and faster development.
Brazil appears to have decided the bigger priority is getting the infrastructure built.
The proposed Santos terminal is expected to increase capacity at Latin America’s largest port by around 50% at a time when the port is already close to saturation.
At almost the same time, another port battle is unfolding in Costa Rica.
ICTSI is now challenging the award of the Puerto Caldera concession to a consortium backed by Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, claiming the tender process lacked transparency and unfairly excluded competing bidders.
Puerto Caldera handles the majority of Costa Rica’s Pacific trade and is already operating at around 95% capacity, so the stakes are high. Delays to upgrades could have major flow on effects for trade across the region.
What’s becoming increasingly clear is that container lines are no longer just focusing on moving cargo from Port A to Port B. They’re pushing further into terminals, infrastructure and supply chain control.
And governments seem to be weighing up a difficult question ... Is it better to limit consolidation, or accept greater carrier influence in exchange for faster investment and port expansion?