Opposition to port deal seen as weird overseas

NY Times:

The tempest over Dubai's takeover of some United States port operations has surprised and puzzled shipping officials and experts outside America, who called the criticism misguided and contrary to global trade.

With its $6.8 billion purchase of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company, Dubai Ports World, which is owned by the emirate of Dubai, would acquire terminals not just in the United States, but in 18 other countries, among them Britain, Belgium, France, India and China.

Yet nowhere else has the deal for P.& O., as the company is known, drawn much anxiety. Instead, the call from American politicians to review the purchase, and some of the talk surrounding the discussion, has cast the United States in a negative light to outsiders.

"We've been shocked by the level of animosity and xenophobia leveled at D.P. World," said Nick Savvides, the editor of CI Online, a research company for the shipping container industry with headquarters in London. The reaction is particularly galling because under the deal "port security remains firmly in United States hands," Mr. Savvides said.

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