Overseas trade vis-a-vis overseas shipping: Growth and performance in India (1999–2009)

Maritime trade has been and even continues to account for about a lion's share of India's total cargo volumes. Despite the growth of multimodal transport (by land, water and air), shipping still continues to be the major mode of transport in the bulk carriage of country's overseas trade. In view of this vital role of shipping, in the first four decades of independence, under the initiative of planned development and active government support, India's shipping and port sector saw dramatic growth in their performance to build adequate national fleet, in keeping up with the transport of overseas cargo. However, the onset of economic liberalization in 1991 has given rise to many new dimensions in the development of the shipping and port sector of the country with a significant redefinition of shipping and port services, in response to the new global trend patterns. For instance, it has also established the new era of containerization in the mode of cargo delivery from the dominance of the era of bulk and break-bulk trade during the decade of sixties and seventies. Moreover, as global competition increases, in response to this emerging trade patterns within this country, India's volume of traffic growth also increases manifold. So, India's shipping and port sectors need, significantly, to build up and furnish their capacity by increasing the frequency of this mode of transport i.e. the growth of the national overseas fleet to meet this surging demand. This paper, therefore, have focused on this role of shipping in such rising overseas trade, with a view to examine the shipping performance (the growth of overseas fleet) in response to the growing overseas trade at all ports of India during the period (1999–2000 to 2008–2009), in terms of both a mathematical model and a graphical representation. Finally, it concludes that the absolute overseas trade, being highly import dependent, have led to a more or less stagnant performance in overseas shipping, owing to the lack of the adequate growth of absolute overseas exports during this period.     

Merchant fleet development by legislation: lessons from West and Central Africa

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, several developing maritime nations began to invoke their 'legitimate right' to carry, in their own vessels, cargo generated by their own import and export trades as one way to reverse their underdevelopment and dependency on traditional maritime nations. Consequently, they embarked on the establishment and development of national merchant fleets by means of cargo reservation legislation and flag discrimination practices. West and Central African states have pursued a vigorous policy of merchant fleet development for over two decades. This study examines some of the cargo reservation policies and flag discrimination practices in West and Central Africa and concludes that these two measures alone are insufficient to build up a significant merchant marine. Merchant fleet development depends equally on the resolution of problems such as shortage of ship finance or capital, disruptive bureaucratic politics among the state agencies concerned with shipping, low volume of trade, and contradictory and ambivalent fiscal and macroeconomic policies in these countries that impede the development of the maritime sector.     

Comparative advantage and maritime transport in the Baltic States

Conventional wisdom has it that, because of locational and other advantages, transit trade and transport, especially maritime transport, could be expected to play a major role in the development process of the Baltic States which was expected to follow their renewed independence in 1991. This paper secks to evaluate this proposition. The first section of the paper provides a brief account of the present state of the shipping and port sectors in the three Baltic republics and offers some speculation about likely future developments. The following section considers whether there is any historical basis for the presumption in favour of transit trade. The paper concludes with a somewhat speculative discussion of whether the Baltic States might be expected to possess any long run comparative advantage in maritime transport. It is suggested that in this respect a distinction should be made between ports and shipping and that in a more prosperous future, shipping, in particular, might be expected to decline in importance.     

The role of the Federal Government in US marine transportation

The United States meets the world shipping crisis of the 1970s with a high-cost merchant fleet and a national maritime policy which needs clearer articulation. This paper examines the objectives, rationale and methods of implementation of the Us maritime programme with attention, finally, to the question of governmental reorganization.     

The role of the Federal Government in US marine transportation

The United States meets the world shipping crisis of the 1970s with a high-cost merchant fleet and a national maritime policy which needs clearer articulation. This paper examines the objectives, rationale and methods of implementation of the Us maritime programme with attention, finally, to the question of governmental reorganization.     

Italian ports: towards a new governance?

The adoption in 1994 of the law n. 84 introducing the landlord port model marked the starting point of a prime period for the Italian port industry. It contributed to the national port industry renaissance: Italian ports became again the leaders in the Mediterranean basin, both as gateway ports and as transhipment ports. Looking back to its 15 years of enforcement, critical aspects and weaknesses have been observed. The incentive to reflect on the governance structure of ports and on the changes affecting the whole logistics transport chain is driven by the relative and absolute loss of position of Italian ports with respect to their competitors of the North as well as of the South European range (and the ports of Northern Africa which are expected to compete fiercely in the coming future). Considering only the container traffic, from 2003 to 2008 the market share of Italian ports decreased from 20.7% to 15.7% in favor of its main European competitors. The loss of attractiveness of Italian harbors is a clear symptom of the several difficulties national ports face in dealing with the rapid changes affecting the port industry. This paper discusses the bill presented by the Italian Government concerning the ports governance reform.     

US shipping policy under conditions of a new world economic and political environment

The maritime policy of the US has evolved over more than 100 years from the support of US shipping through mail and fleet auxiliary contracts before the turn of the century, to the present array of direct and indirect Government aids and regulations based on the assumption that a strong maritime industry composed of both US-flag shipping and US-shipbuilding capacity is essential for the economic well-being and defence of the country. Notwithstanding massive direct and indirect aid to the US merchant marine, amounting to well over a billion dollars a year in recent years, US shipping and shipbuilding has declined dramatically and now comprises less than 3% of world shipping. Only 2.8% of US foreign trade by volume and 6% by value is today carried in US flag ships. Government aids constitute well over 33% of total revenues of US-flag shipping.

The traditional argument for US Government support has been the need for cost parity to permit US-flag shipping to compete effectively in international trade against foreign shipping serving the same routes with presumably lower operating costs. This argument is difficult to sustain today, as vessel costs of many other industrialized nations are now about equal to those of US-flag ships.

In 1970 the US enacted a new, vastly more liberal, maritime act for the support of the US maritime industry. Notwithstanding its even more liberal terms and elimination of the strict cost-parity interpretation, the US maritime industry continues its decline. The recent bankruptcy of two old, established subsidized shipping companies has caused tremors in the industry, yet no new ideas, policies, or plans seem to be forthcoming. It is the objective of this paper to study the development and effects of various historic US Government policies relating to the support of the US maritime industry, and evaluate the positions taken by proponents or opponents of the maritime policy leading to the policy development.

The decision processes are studied by evaluating literature on the evolution of Congressional, administration, industry, and labour interest and positions on the issue of Government aid to the maritime industry. The impact and effectiveness of various elements of past and present US maritime policy is evaluated in relation to the stated objectives. The alternatives to these policies are reviewed in the light of the changing US position in international trade, military strategy, and political objectives. In addition the effectiveness of the present and alternative policies is evaluated as it is and will be affected by changing technology in use, composition of ownership, and operations of US-flag shipping and shipbuilding.     

Towards a common ports policy? EU-proposals and the ports industry's perceptions

This paper discusses the European Union's (EU) proposals to improve the efficiency and infrastructure of European ports, and investigates the extent to which these proposals are welcomed by the ports industry. On the one hand, the analysis of the recent EU policy developments makes apparent that the EU is increasingly impinging upon the port industry's life. On the other hand, the findings of the semi-structured interviews with the industry's representatives suggest that although port authorities and port operators remain in principle against a coherent common EU ports policy, the industry believes that certain EU initiatives can enhance the competitiveness of the maritime transport system.     

Port development within the framework of Malaysia's transport policy: some considerations

There is disjunction between the national port policy and the national transport policy in Malaysia, as the latter, for much of its time, focused on national integration rather than trade facilitation. During Malaysia's concentration on national integration, it relied on Singapore as its main port. This allowed Singapore to develop as a centre of transport for Malaysian trade. To break Singapore's stranglehold on its cargo and to make Port Klang a regional hub port, Malaysia must reconcile its national transport and port policies, with the main aim of facilitating trade. In view of the strong presence of transnational corporations in its trade and the fact that world trade today is based on reciprocity, Malaysia may have to consider a more laissez faire approach with regard to port development.     

Port development within the framework of Malaysia's transport policy: some considerations

There is disjunction between the national port policy and the national transport policy in Malaysia, as the latter, for much of its time, focused on national integration rather than trade facilitation. During Malaysia's concentration on national integration, it relied on Singapore as its main port. This allowed Singapore to develop as a centre of transport for Malaysian trade. To break Singapore's stranglehold on its cargo and to make Port Klang a regional hub port, Malaysia must reconcile its national transport and port policies, with the main aim of facilitating trade. In view of the strong presence of transnational corporations in its trade and the fact that world trade today is based on reciprocity, Malaysia may have to consider a more laissez faire approach with regard to port development.     

Will a national port regulator solve congestion problems in Australian ports?

Australia's ports are an integral part of the nation's economy, which relies heavily on trade. In Australia, the governance of ports is the responsibility of the governments of Australia's six states and the Northern Territory, all of which have their own legislation covering the running of the ports and the establishment of port corporations. The respective legislation governing the running of Australia's ports is not uniform, and neither are the models for port management that they create. In May 2005, the then Deputy Prime Minister and Federal Transport Minister announced that the Commonwealth planned to take control of the planning and investment decision making of Australia's ports. The reasoning behind this is said to be Australia's poor trade performance and bottlenecks in ports which hold up trade and ultimately cost money. The Federal government has sought to do this under Section 51(i) of the Australian Constitution in order to update and integrate Australia's transport system. This announcement has caused disquiet among the states that had no previous notice of the announcement and for which ports are a major source of revenue. The transfer of power to the Commonwealth may lead to the Commonwealth being able to take further powers from the states, not only in relation to the ports but in relation to other areas such as industrial relations. Industry groups claim they have been pushing for a larger role for the Commonwealth in the running of the nation's ports, but question as to what extent the Commonwealth should be involved.     

Port economic impact model (PIM) and its planning applications

The provision of adequate port capacity has been essential for Korean economic development, as its foreign trade has been predominantly seaborne. In this respect, efforts have been directed to the development of seaports in order to provide a sufficient level of service for greater national control of foreign trade. The port planning and development process in Korea, however, has not been a total success. This is underlined by the fact that the seaport industry in Korea has not coped with the increased demand, and total seaport capacity has lagged behind need. This paper examines the validity of the port input-output model (PIM) as predictive tool to future planning. Further the value of the PIM as a forecasting tool to the port transport industry in Korea is identified.     

船长文献——澳大利亚Cape Flattery港进港指南与靠泊操作要点

澳大利亚Cape Flattery港情况特殊,无拖船协助,给靠、离泊带来许多困难。总结了长期航行于此港至东亚航线的经验和体会,供航海人员参考。     

The ports of the Russian Far East: a management strategy

The recent breakupof the former Soviet Union and the Russian Republic's movement towards a market economy wil require a considerable improvement and expansion of present port facilities in order to handle increasing cargo throughputs effectively. The Russian Far East is expected to increase trade dramatically through imports of foreign goods, exors of natural resources from Siberia and container traffic traversing teh Trans-Siberian landbridge. The ports of the region will be competing with each other to atract foreing investment and to increase central government assistance in order to facilitate development. This article examines;(1) the more important ports of the Far East and the problems they face as they compete to atract investment; (2) the establishment of a Regional Port Authority as a possible management alternative; (3)advantages of a Port Authority in developing the region' ports and fostering future growth. By analysing these data, a management and development strategy can be formulated for the optimum utilization of present resources and the benefi of reginal modernization and development.     

Economic and commercial considerations affecting the maritime transportation of tropical produce

This paper discusses the pattern of sea transport and loading in the ECAP and ESCAP areas, particularly the bulk trades in such commodities as sawn hardwood, plywood and rubber. The effects of port development and organization are examined, especially the difficulties of instituting bulk services and containerization in an area with a fragmented pattern of trade.     

Assessment criteria for the sustainable competitive advantage of the national merchant fleet from a resource-based view

To determine the competitive advantage of the national merchant fleet, based on the resource-based view, we collect competitive advantage assessment factors from literature, and use the analytic hierarchy process methodology to compare the importance of assessment dimensions and variables. The article's conclusions include a recommendation that the government review the current allocation of resources and implement measures to reinforce the national merchant fleet. This study's findings can be summarized as follows: (1) Criteria dimensions are ranked in the order of competitive strength, organizational capability, tangible assets, and intangible assets. (2) Criteria variables can be ranked in the order of freight revenue, cargo loading ratio, accuracy of shipping schedule, dead weight tonnage, number of vessels, standard of customer service, reputation of shipping company, cargo transportation volume, gross tonnage, sailing frequency, shipping knowledge, fleet specialization, number of crewmen, and fleet technological level. (3) The government should review existing maritime regulations and measures in order to formulate specific and transparent policies, and seek to adopt optimal alternatives from other countries concerning such issues as tonnage tax, bilateral income tax reduction or exemption agreements, second-registration mechanisms and shipbuilding basis, etc.     

Overview of public transport policy developments in South Africa

Public transport in South Africa is one of the most burning issues in the transport sector. The government is faced with huge public pressure to improve public transport systems in the face of rising fuel costs, the pending implementation of expensive urban toll road systems in the Gauteng province, and elsewhere in urban environments, public transport safety issues, public transport fleet renewal, especially the commuter rail services, as well as limited resources to fund public transport. As a developing country, the South African Government has pressing funding issues such as funds needed to improve housing for the poor to improve schooling and public health services. Government is also faced with a vocal minibus taxi industry that transports an estimated 65% of all commuters in the country that is also insisting on subsidies for its services.     

港口建设:大手笔更需大眼界

随着经济全球化和现代物流的发展,我国经济进入了新一轮上升周期。港口的崛起是中国经济迅速发展的一个缩影。眼下全国各地港口建设如火如荼,高歌猛进。然而,在其大张旗鼓忙建设的背后,记者隐约感觉到一丝不安与担忧。     

我国港口物流现状及发展趋势之我见

港口物流是指中心港口城市以优化港口资源整合为目标,发展具有涵盖物流产业链所有环节特点的港口综合服务体系.港口物流同经济、贸易密切相关.分析了我国港口物流发展现状.从7个方面对加强我国港口物流发展提出了相应对策.     

第四代港口对中国港口建设的启示

旨在探讨第四代港口对中国港口建设的重要启示,以期为新形势下的中国港口建设提供理论支撑。基于前期研究及联合国贸发会的港口代际发展模型,研究并指出第四代港口是积极主动参与国际经贸决策和组织各类经济活动的前方调度总站,分析了第四代港口的主要特征及其对我国港口建设的重要启示。主要结论是：中国港口建设应大力发展和吸引陆向腹地物流,进一步加强国际航运中心建设以及优化港口布局。