News / EC opens in-depth probe into MSC buying into Barcelona box terminal

Photo: Hutchison

The European Commission’s competition watchdog has announced an in-depth investigation into MSC’s port operating arm TiL and its new financial backer US fund BlackRock’s proposed purchase of an undisclosed stake in Hutchison’s Barcelona Europe Southern Terminal (BEST) facility.

The EC said it had been notified in early November of the acquisition, while MSC told Reuters the deal had been proposed before MSC/BlackRock made its $22bn bid forHutchison’s international port portfolio in early March, and was separate from that larger deal.

“The preliminary investigation indicates that the [BEST] transaction may significantly reduce competition in the market for the provision of container terminal services at the port of Barcelona, and potentially lead to higher prices and lower quality of services for container liner shipping companies competing with MSC,” the EC said.

It added that MSC acquiring the stake in BEST could lead to the restriction of terminal capacity across the port for other carriers, explaining: “The merged entity may foreclose competing container liner shipping companies by providing preferential treatment to MSC for the use of BEST’s container terminal services.

“Such discriminatory treatment may notably take the form of higher prices, late access to the berth, limited availability of cranes and storage space for MSC’s competitors.

“Such partial foreclosure may be a profitable strategy for the merged entity.

“In addition, foreclosed container liner shipping companies appear to have limited possibility to switch to the other deepsea container terminal in the port of Barcelona, Terminal de Contenedores de Barcelona.”

Capacity at Barcelona was stretched to breaking point in mid-2024, following the widespread diversions of Asia-Mediterranean shipping routes around the Cape of Good Hope, which almost overnight turned Western Med container ports into transhipment hubs for East Mediterranean and Black Sea cargo flows.

Although Valencia has long been MSC’s chief Spanish, and indeed West Mediterranean, hub, it has increased its use of Barcelona and now calls at the port with 12 of its services, all of which dock at BEST.

According to Xeneta’s eSea liner database, its service portfolio at BEST comprises five regional feeders, two transatlantic and two Europe-Middle East/India strings, and three Asia-Europe services – Lynx, Jade, and Dragon – operated with Premier Alliance members.

The deadline for the EC’s investigation is 30 April 2026.