Participation of Private Investors in Container Terminal Operation: Influence of Global Terminal Operators

Private container terminal operators have begun to participate in the port business in Asia since the late 1980s. Terminal operators decide whether to invest in terminal infrastructures, and the enhancement of the quality of service level. The paper analyses the influence of global terminal operators and the port ownership structure on the container terminal's efficiency. Two hundred and sixty container terminal data for China, Korea, and Japan were collected. The paper applies a negative binomial regression analysis. The paper finds that the port restructuring has contributed to productivity gains. It is found that the influence of GTO on the efficiency is evident and positively related to the port efficiency. The paper also finds that the country effect prevails over a terminal operator group effect.