The role of US ocean Ports in promoting an efficient ocean transportation system

This paper investigates wheather the actions of US ocean ports (since the passage of the Shipping Act of 1984) are supportive of the promotion of an efficient transportation system for US ocean commerce. In the short run, US ocean ports have generally been supportive of this efficiency goal;competiton among US ocean ports has has increased as is evident by the significant reduction that has occurred in port natural hinterlands. In the long run, port sunk costs, consolidations and cooperative activities, and long-term leases with ocean carriers are likely to be non-supportive of the efficiency goal.