BERLIN, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- Ports and their terminals have become popular takeover objects for investors worldwide in recent years, according to a report of the transport and logistics sector published on Tuesday.

       The report by auditing and consulting firm PwC Germany underlined that every fourth deal in transport and logistics in 2023 was in shipping, including port infrastructure deals. "Deals in this area have been on the upswing since 2015," PwC said. Since then, the transaction volume has totaled around 100 billion U.S. dollars.

       Although the value of deals in port infrastructure in 2023 fell significantly to 4.2 billion U.S. dollars, compared to 15.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, takeover activity in this area was still comparatively high, with a total of 16 deals.

       "Ports and terminals have moved into the strategic focus worldwide despite the prevailing sense of uncertainty," PwC said. "Over the long term, control over harbor and sea routes also means influence over the bottlenecks in the global movement of goods."

       The PwC analysis noted a shift with regard to target regions. Between 2015 and 2023, two thirds of the 184 deals announced in the port infrastructure sector were aimed at ports in Asia and Oceania.

       In addition, foreign investments in Africa are becoming "increasingly important" due to Africa's role as a supplier of important raw materials, but also the "continent's strategic location along the global trade routes of the future," PwC said.