The main strategy of port holdings consists in the establishment of a network of port terminals capturing the export-oriented traffic of Asia, offshore transshipments opportunities for long distance trade and improving hinterland access for import markets, particularly at the major continental gateways of Western Europe and North America (Figure 3). The issue of port competition has been rendered more complex by this emerging ownership structure. In some ports, the holding controls the entire facility and is thus the port’s sole client while other holdings and shipping lines may face a more difficult access in terms of berthing and efficient transshipment. The approach in port competition, notably from other port holdings, thus becomes a strategy of establishing a handhold on a nearby facility that shares a similar hinterland. For instance, A.P. Moller went to the port of Tanjung Pelepas near Singapore, because the later is controlled by PSA. For other ports, particularly large ones, intense competition is the trend as often more than two holdings are present, each owning their own terminals within the port complex (e.g. Rotterdam, Antwerp, Laem Chabang, Hong Kong and New York). This strategy is likely to make shipping lines less “footloose” since they now have vested long term interests at specific port terminals and selling those interests is much more difficult than negotiating a short term service contract with a port authority.