Reply #16: The real hell will come from the local governments - [View All]

especially NY/NJ and Philadelphia.

Consider this hypo-- Under The Arab League Boycott, if, hypothetically, a Liberian or Panamanian or Taiwanese freighter came in - with containers from Haifa, Dubai Ports World could refuse to offload (refuse to permit the stevedores it has "hired" offload) the containers.

As a practical matter - given the US 1976-78 Anti-Boycott legislation - this isn't very likely. Dubai World Ports would be violating the terms and conditions of their lease with the Port Authority ("...to be and remain in compliance with all applicable, local, state and federal laws..."). Remember, the Port Authority still owns the land under the cranes and rail road tracks and asphalt and the land the warehouses sit on.

Would another port operator complain and bring pressure on the Port Authority to enforce the terms of the lease? If it's a profitable port, you can believe that other operators (Chinese COSCO, Danish Moller-Maersk, Evergreen, Hyundai, etc.) would demand termination for breach of a material term or condition.