Ports

DP World Moves to Establish US Container Operations After Two Decades

DP World has signed a lease option agreement with the Port of Corpus Christi, Texas, to develop a container terminal with eventual capacity of approximately 1 million twenty-foot equivalent units annually. The agreement marks the Dubai-based operator's first major U.S. container terminal project since divesting American port operations in 2006. Corpus Christi currently lacks container handling capabilities. Port officials said the facility would diversify the region's cargo base, which is heavily dependent on energy shipments. The planned terminal would operate at a modest scale compared to major U.S. container gateways. DP World's return to U.S. ports comes two decades after a proposed P&O terminal acquisition sparked national security concerns and bipartisan congressional opposition, ultimately forcing the company to exit its American operations.