Brussels is investigating a possible oligopoly at the largest container terminal in the port of Barcelona

Brussels/BarcelonaThe European Commission has opened an investigation into the sale of Terminal Catalunya SAU (Tercat), the company that operates the main container terminal in the Port of Barcelona, ​​called Barcelona Europe South Terminal (Best). Before the deal, which is not yet finalized, Tercat was wholly owned by Hutchison Ports, and Brussels has focused its attention on the attempt by Terminal Investment Limited Holding (TIL), a subsidiary of the shipping company MSC, to acquire 50% of this operator. The fact is that the acquiring company belongs to a shipping company that is the world leader in container shipping and has a significant operational presence in the port of Barcelona; meanwhile, Hutchison Ports is the main operator in the port. This concentration of business in the hands of two industry giants is what has raised "doubts" regarding "competition" in Brussels. Brussels wants to determine whether the merger of the two entities, which will control the entire Best terminal, could result in preferential treatment for MSC and lead to higher prices, delayed access to the dock, and limited availability of cranes and storage space for other companies. "This partial exclusion could be a profitable strategy for the merged entity," the European Commission stated in a press release. The European Commission also noted that its preliminary investigations, which led it to conduct a thorough evaluation of the proposed acquisition, have found that MSC's competitors in regular shipping appear to have limited options for switching from container terminals to port infrastructure. The Port of Barcelona expressed its full respect for the competition authorities, according to reports. Cristina Martin.

The proposed operation affecting the main container terminal at the port of Barcelona, ​​the capital of Catalonia, was notified to the European Commission on November 5th, and the Commission now has 90 working days, until April 30th of next year, to make a final decision. In any case, the statement from Brussels wants to make it clear that the initial concerns expressed by the European Commission itself and the opening of the investigation do not prejudge the case. A growing terminal

It's worth remembering that the main container terminal at the Port of Barcelona expanded its capacity by 25% last summer. Since its opening in 2012, the Best terminal, managed by the Hong Kong-based Hutchison Ports group, has experienced continuous growth, simultaneously servicing large container ships while trucks and trains constantly depart from its facilities to distribute the cargo. Located on the Prat wharf, the part of the port furthest from the city, it employs more than 1,100 dockworkers. The facility has just added seven container blocks, bringing the total to 34. Each block has an annual storage capacity of approximately 100,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units, about 6.1 meters). Last year, Best broke its record with more than 2.7 million containers, with even more room to grow with the new blocks. With an investment of 150 million euros, the expansion has been carried out on ten hectares of land that the Port of Barcelona handed over to Hutchison, increasing its footprint to ninety hectares. In the coming years, the Best terminal plans to grow even further on adjacent land, which will allow it to reach an area of one hundred hectares, where there is currently only sand. It will then have forty container blocks, twenty cranes, and 4,000 refrigerated power outlets.