For most global seaports, port-managing institutions mirror the historical development of national and regional political structures and economic systems. Yet since the early 1980s, with the rise of globalization and the development of rationale for port reforms, two distinct general trends have occurred: (1) increasingly decentralized corporate structures and administration have gained momentum, especially in East Asia, South Asia, Oceania and Europe, and (2) increased contracting, leasing, and concessions for container terminal levels and other cargo and vessel services in most of regions in the world. As a result, many public service ports were transformed to landlord ports. While boundaries for the adaptation of port institutions have expanded in the past decade, there are still different levels of vigilance and flexibility on institutional reform and innovation in differing parts of the world. Regions and countries like South Asia (Singapore, Malaysia), Oceania (New Zealand, Australia), East Asia (China) and some Central and South American countries are more enthusiastic about innovation in port institutions. Several northern and southern European countries (Antwerp, Rotterdam) and Korea have followed their predecessors after periods of testing the new institutional models. Finally, some Pacific Rim countries, like the US and Japan and other countries in the African continent, so far show only low levels of interest in reforming their port management and operation models. In the early twentieth century, the US and Japan achieved some institutional innovation by adopting decentralized landlord models or municipal