Posted on February 11, 2026
By Glenn Taylor
Multiple high-profile suitors may be in the running to acquire a major gateway at The Port of New York and New Jersey.
Maher Terminals could be put up for sale by its owner, Australia-based Macquarie Asset Management.
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, major container shipping lines and terminal operators have showed interest in the terminal, including Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), Hapag-Lloyd, Port of Singapore operator PSA International and Dubai-based DP World.
Hapag-Lloyd and DP World would not comment on the matter. Sourcing Journal reached out to MSC and PSA.
An official sale process has not yet begun and the terminal operator does not have a current timeline for a divestment, a Macquarie spokesperson confirmed.
The 450-acre site, which hosts the largest container-handling facility at the port complex, reportedly has a price tag exceeding $3 billion.
In December, Maher Terminals extended its lease with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for 33 years through September 2063, seemingly spiking the interest from multiple parties.
Any new potential buyer would stand to gain a nearly four-decade stronghold in one of the most vital transportation hubs on the East Coast.
Given the current state of global trade and the impact of tariff policies on U.S. port volumes, Maher Terminals may be enticing to a prospective buyer due to the port’s reduced exposure to volumes coming out of China. Chinese exports to the U.S. slumped 20 percent in dollar terms in 2025, with America’s busiest port, the Port of Los Angeles, seeing a 0.6 percent decrease in overall 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) into the gateway throughout the year.
The Port of New York and New Jersey fared slightly better amid the shifting trade volumes. The East Coast port was the nation’s second-busiest port for loaded TEUs, moving 5,955,798 loaded containers over the year, a 2.8 percent increase from 2024. In December, the seaport moved 435,352 loaded TEUs, a 5.6 percent decrease from the year prior.
Any new potential buyer would stand to gain a nearly four-decade stronghold in one of the most vital transportation hubs on the East Coast.
Given the current state of global trade and the impact of tariff policies on U.S. port volumes, Maher Terminals may be enticing to a prospective buyer due to the port’s reduced exposure to volumes coming out of China. Chinese exports to the U.S. slumped 20 percent in dollar terms in 2025, with America’s busiest port, the Port of Los Angeles, seeing a 0.6 percent decrease in overall 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) into the gateway throughout the year.
The Port of New York and New Jersey fared slightly better amid the shifting trade volumes. The East Coast port was the nation’s second-busiest port for loaded TEUs, moving 5,955,798 loaded containers over the year, a 2.8 percent increase from 2024. In December, the seaport moved 435,352 loaded TEUs, a 5.6 percent decrease from the year prior.
The geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China were seen in the collapse of a monumental deal surrounding two ports positioned near the Panama Canal. Last March, MSC and BlackRock had agreed in principle to purchase the Balboa and Cristóbal ports from Hong Kong-based port operator CK Hutchison for $23 billion. But that deal fell through after Panama ruled Hutchison’s contract to run the ports as unconstitutional, leaving China unhappy with the result.
Ocean carriers including MSC and CMA CGM have increasingly sought to bolster their portfolios and vertically integrate their operations. These container shipping companies are pursuing this strategy to gain greater control over end-to-end container movements to improve service levels, including speed and schedule reliability.
Carriers own stakes in four of N.Y./N.J.’s five terminals, leaving Maher Terminals as the last facility not under carrier control. APM Terminals, the terminal operating segment of Maersk controls one terminal at the port, with plans to pour $500 million worth of upgrades into the hub. MSC’s Terminal Investment Limited owns a 50 percent share in Port Newark Container Terminal (PNCT) as part of a joint venture with Ports America.
If one of the new reported suitors ends up placing a bid and scooping up the terminal, it would also have to spend millions of dollars on technology upgrades. Established in its long-term master plan, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey forecasts that the port will almost double its container volumes by 2050. While cargo volumes keep growing, the port complex itself does not have room to expand its physical footprint.
