Not being omniscient, no, I don't know why an American company didn't bid.
I have lots of guesses, most of which have to do with taxation on multinational corporations.
Some of my guesses have to do with my experience in the maritime industry a few decades ago when American corporations started chartering foreign flag vessels flying "flags of convenience" in order to evade US Coast Guard regulations and US tax laws.
I don't blame anybody for trying to legally evade taxes or trying to make an honest buck.
But the security of me, my children, and everybody else I know and love should not be sold to the highest bidder.
So again, if we refuse to allow DP World to take over these leases, who is going to run these ports? American companies are not interested in doing it. Based on my information, the other players in this business are based in Hong Kong (Communist China) and Singapore (the Singapore company was outbid by DP World, IIRC). If the Congress gets it's way, not only will those other companies be shut out, all foreign operators already doing port operations in the US (COSCO in Long Beach comes to mind) will have to be bought out by the feds (the headlines there; "There goes Bush, growing the government again!"), unless they write in exemptions (there the headlines will be, "Bush is selling out to the ChiComs!" ). And just how will Congress justify that?
So it comes down to nationalizing all of our ports, or shutting them down. Which is it going to be?
But the security of me, my children, and everybody else I know and love should not be sold to the highest bidder.
If you had experience in the maritime industry, you should know that this deal has absolutely nothing to do with National Security!!!