New York terminal scrambles to block Maersk early exit

From American Shipper comes the news that North American terminal operator Global Container Terminals (GCT) has requested an emergency restraining order from a New York court to prevent Maersk and Hamburg Süd from moving their vessel calls to the APMT-controlled facility at Port Elizabeth in New Jersey.

According to American Shipper, Maersk has notified GCT it intended to move to Port Elizabeth on 1 May, but under the terms of the contract between GCT and Maersk, the earliest the lines could leave would be at the end of 2021. In its court filing, GCT president John Atkins alleges “that Maersk and Hamburg Süd are attempting to move to Port Elizabeth for the financial benefit of their sister company, APMT, which is a direct competitor of GCT,” and that Maersk’s “reprehensible conduct [ie, its early contract termination] is magnified by the fact that Maersk is essentially stealing business from GCT to give to its own corporate affiliate, APMT.”