The impacts of strait and canal blockages on the transportation costs of the Chinese fleet in the shipping network |
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Authors: | Tianhang Gao |
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Institution: | 1. Transportation Engineering College, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian, China;2. Department of Waterway Transport, Transport Planning and Research Institute, Ministry of Transport, Beijing, China |
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Abstract: | ABSTRACTStraits and canals have always served as key nodes in shipping networks. The blockage of a strait or canal will lead to ship deviations and increased transportation costs. To measure this impact on the Chinese fleet, our study develops a mathematical model that is based on a programming formulation. Each strait or canal is assumed to be blocked in turn, and the increased transportation costs for the Chinese fleet in different scenarios are calculated and compared using the proposed programming formulation in order to measure the impact of the blocked strait or canal on the Chinese fleet. Larger increases in transportation costs have greater impacts on the fleet. The results show that a blockage of the Strait of Hormuz would have the greatest impact of all straits and canals; it would cause the Chinese fleet to lose a portion of its import and export market, and such a blockage cannot be addressed through ship deviations. Based upon increased transportation costs, the four straits or canals that would have the greatest impact if blocked are the Mandeb Strait, the Suez Canal, the Sunda Strait and the English Channel. |
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Keywords: | Impact of blockage strait canal programming formulation Chinese fleet |
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