China’s Ministry of Transport said only that it held separate meetings with representatives of Danish group Maersk and MSC, two of the world’s largest shipping companies.
China’s Ministry of Transport on Tuesday summoned the leadership of shipping companies Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) to address their “international maritime transport business practices.”
In an official statement published on Tuesday, the ministry said it held separate meetings with representatives of Danish group Maersk and MSC, two of the world’s largest shipping companies.
The statement did not detail the reasons for the meetings, which come at a time of volatility in global maritime trade, marked by Middle East tensions and disputes over infrastructure such as the Panama Canal.
Subsidiaries of both companies assumed provisional operation of two terminals on the Panama Canal following the withdrawal of the concession from the local subsidiary of Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison, due to a legal process criticised by China.
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Chinese authorities have intensified oversight of the maritime transport sector in recent years, an area considered fundamental to the Asian country’s foreign trade — the world’s largest goods exporter.
