The rapid expansion of the Mediterranean terminals, begun during the 1990s, is indicative of a market outcome which is mainly the result of the growth of globalization, the establishment of longdistance east–west freight traffic routes, and first-mover advantage within the constraints of location convenience. However, as observed in various studies dedicated to the Mediterranean Basin (Barros and Athanassiou 2004; Barros 2006; Trujillo and Tovar 2007; Barros and Peypoch 2007; Bergantino and Musso 2011), EU intervention may have facilitated port investment and thus be determining,on average, an increase in productivity.