‘Tool port’ to ‘landlord port’: a game theory approach to analyse gains from governance model transformation

This study investigates potential port users’ surplus and terminal operators’ profits due to transforming port governance from the ‘tool port’ model to the ‘landlord port’ model. Although the landlord port model is one of the most adopted and successful port governance models, many ports still operate under other models. Chittagong Port, the largest port in Bangladesh, currently operates under the tool port model, while the country’s second-largest port, Mongla Port, operates under the service port model. Chittagong Port is currently facing many challenges, including capacity expansion and renovation of port facilities. Therefore, we form four hypothetical situations for port governance model transformation, assuming that Chittagong Port will transform to the landlord port model but that Mongla Port will run under the existing governance model. Estimating a Bertrand game model, we present a cost-benefit analysis for port users and terminal operators (or port authorities) in hypothetical game situations. The results reveal that privatising one of the container terminals under a landlord setting is the most profitable scenario for Chittagong Port Authority, but privatising all terminals of Chittagong Port yields the highest users’ surplus. However, privatising two of the terminals while they cooperate yields the lowest users’ surplus.     

基于满意度指数的港口竞争力测评

水运是我国贸易的主要运输方式,伴随着中国经济和港口经济不断的持续增长,港湾建设的竞争不断加剧,港口竞争力测评的研究已经成为提升港口竞争能力的重要途径之一。文中在分析现有港口竞争力测评方法存在问题的基础上,提出了基于满意度指数的港口竞争力测评思想,运用结构方程的方法构建了港口满意度测评体系和模型,为港口竞争力的测评提供了一个创新的思路和方法。     

Modelling with joint choice of ports and countries of origin and destination: application to Colombian ports

Literature has focused on studying port choice independently or as an element of a supply chain without considering the joint selection with the country of origin/destination of the imports/exports. However, the characteristics and location of a port may make it more attractive to mobilise more freight from/to some particular countries rather than others, making the port choice decision dependent on the country of origin/destination of the cargo. This article proposes advanced econometric models to evaluate simultaneously port choice and the country of origin/destination choice for Colombian imports and exports. Findings suggest that for imports and exports domestic freight rate is the most important variable for the joint choice process. Also, for exports, maritime transit time is more relevant than for imports, while for the frequency of shipping lines the opposite is true. The existence of a trade agreement and the gross domestic product per capita also have a significant influence on the election of a country for exports/imports.     

加速战略转型 实现码头运营商服务集成化

基于全球码头运营商面临重要战略转型的认识,本文分析了全球码头运营商服务集成化的必要性、优势、基本模式和实施条件。研究表明:全球码头运营商在后金融危机时代应依托其在港口网络、要素整合和集成能力等方面的综合优势,实施服务集成化,这是适应新竞争环境的重要战略转型;其集成化的实现方式取决于集成的成本与收益比较。     

基于MNL模型的托运人港口选择分析

运用Multinomial Logit(MNL)模型,以长江三角洲港口为例,从港口和承运人两方面综合考虑,提出由港口和承运人不同组合而形成的各种选择方案,计算了托运人对各种方案的选择概率和各个港口的市场份额,并进一步分析各个因素的影响程度以及港口市场份额对这些因素变化的弹性程度。旨在为托运人合理选择港口和降低运输成本、为港口正确制定经营策略和合理明确自身定位提供一定的参考依据。     

Optimal concession contracts for landlord port authorities with different pursuing goals

This paper investigates how landlord port authorities should offer concession contracts to their terminal operators under two different goals, by building a two-stage game for each goal. If maximizing the weighted sum of fee revenues and throughout benefits is port authorities’ goal, then the optimal concession contract can be any of the two-part tariff, the unit-fee, and the fixed-fee contracts. Accordingly, our special cases include previous works assuming that port authorities maximize either fee revenues or throughput benefits. By contrast, if maximizing the social welfare is the goal, then we find that subsidizing terminal operators, instead of charging them, is port authorities’ best choice. This result is not yet discovered in the literature.     

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.     

The dynamics of port reform: different contexts,similar strategies

Research into port reform in Taiwan and Australia indicates that reform was undertaken in different contexts while committed and adopting similar strategies. Reform in both countries has been consistent with paradigmatic shifts towards market orientation, and within this context, privatisation was considered the preferred option. In both Taiwan and Australia, however, governments, reluctant to relinquish control over their ports, opted for corporatisation models. This article discusses the dynamics and drivers of reform and examines the outcome of these strategies. Both countries commenced port reform with deregulation of dock labour employment and introduced enterprise-based employment replacing the labour pool system. Privatisation of stevedoring operations was introduced at the same time in Taiwan. In the second reform phase, Taiwan amalgamated the four major commercial ports under a single state-owned port company in March 2012, with the objective of reducing inter-port competition and creating a central port planning mechanism. Australian ports, on the other hand, have undergone restructuring with the implementation of corporatisation, privatisation and commercialisation strategies since 1990s. Reform strategies in both countries display some similarities, e.g. rationalisation strategies in both Taiwan and Tasmanian ports, but also display some distinct dissimilarities with the increasing move to privatisation in Australia, e.g. the sale of South Australian ports and in 2010 the sale of the port of Brisbane.     

(Law for the Promotion of Competition and Consumer Protection) was passed in early 1995. The impact this law will eventually have, however, is uncertain because rules for its implementation have not yet been established.

Governments in their port reform efforts have experimented with liberalization and commercialization to improve port operations. Because of their failure to meet expectations or because of changing competitive environments, these options have generally been discarded in favour of privatization. In mature large-volume port systems, privatization was a relatively obvious solution, because interport or interterminal competition would be achieved to the extent that the monopolistic tendencies characteristic of their predecessor organizations would cease to exist. In countries with a limited number of ports having relatively small cargo volumes, however, the case is quite different. These countries would have to pursue strategies that would still induce competition in spite of their limited cargo volumes if they hoped to achieve the same privatization benefits and market disciplines enjoyed in other countries. This article examines the port reform approaches used in three distinct competitive settings;the experiences in these countries offer some guidance on how to assure that ports will feel competitive pressures even under conditions of limited cargo volumes.     

柔性化港口的概念和内涵

分析了现代港口合作竞争、区域化、精益化和敏捷化的发展特点,提出了柔性化港口的概念,并研究了其具体内涵。柔性化港口应该能够快速反应运输市场变化,提供敏捷、高质量的差异化服务,促使与港口相关的供应链各环节之间的无缝连接。其内涵可从战略柔性、结构柔性和运营柔性3个层次理解,各层次作为整个柔性系统的组成部分,各自分别反应环境的变化,相互影响和促进。港口在实施柔性发展战略的过程中应该从柔性内涵出发,认真分析环境、仔细定位,实施针对性的发展对策。     

内河港口物流园区发展相关问题研究

为探讨我国内河港口物流园区发展策略和最佳布局方案,在详细分析国内外港口物流发展阶段及其必备条件的基础上,提出当前长江上游地区港口物流的成熟条件和存在的问题,进而以此为基础分析内河港口物流园区建设发展中需要解决的基本问题,并提出港口物流园区开发模式、经营模式、发展类型、选址原则等。以全国最大的内河港口物流园区——重庆果园港口物流区为案例,利用提出的理论进行分析,得到了内河港口物流基地的发展策略和适宜的布局方案。     

超能力运行下港区内集装箱码头的博弈*

以上海外高桥港区集装箱码头为背景,构建超能力运行下同一港区内不同集装箱码头之间的博弈模型,通过逆向归纳法分析求解均衡收费和联盟利润,研究发现:与竞争博弈相比,集装箱码头联盟方都能收取相同并且较高的码头费用,其中部分联盟时联盟方的市场份额均为下降,而非联盟方的均衡收费、市场份额和利润均呈增加趋势。与完全联盟相比,部分联盟时联盟方收取的码头费用、市场份额和联盟利润皆为下降;非联盟方的均衡收费和利润也大幅降低,但市场份额却大幅增加,即同一港区集装箱码头博弈中真正的赢家是非联盟集装箱码头。     

Container port systems in China and the USA: a comparative study

This study compares the evolution of container port systems in China and the USA in terms of port throughput, number of container ports and the concentration level in the container port system, based on the time-series data on these three features over the period 1979–2009 for China and 1970–2009 for the USA. The results show that the densities of container ports in the two countries are similar, and their evolutionary processes are alike, which has led to a comparable market structure in the port industries of the two countries. In addition, the disparities between container ports closely represent the unevenness in the regional economic development. We further compare the port management regimes of the two countries in terms of the administrative processes for port development and expansion, the ownership structure and the providers of port functions, which offer some explanation on the dynamics of port evolution in the two countries. In conclusion, it can be seen that the evolution of the container port system and the management regime in the USA can be a de facto reference for the future development of the Chinese container port system.     

Workshop report - Public transport markets in development

Developing countries and countries in transition represent between 85% and 90% of the world’s population and face unique public transport challenges that are not necessarily present in developed countries. Issues such as the affordability and accessibility of public transport, funding support and capacity to implement are some of the challenges these countries face. Barriers to strategy implementation in these countries could be a failure to understand the broader business and social environment, poor leadership, a lack of inter-disciplinary and inter-implementer collaboration, and weak monitoring and feedback loops. Weak institutional frameworks are evidenced in inappropriate structures often resulting in institutional inertia and conflict. Over-promising of potential impacts and benefits together with a failure to develop sustainable funding mechanisms often lead to a lack of implementation. The workshop argued that different competition and ownership solutions are needed for a range of factors. This poses a challenge to the THREDBO community as it could mean that the traditional concepts are either not relevant or not usable in the majority of the world’s developing countries, or that the traditional approaches are relevant in many respects but need to be substantially extended and adapted to be applicable and usable in the rest of the world.     

Online channel strategies under different offline channel power structures for the Belt and Road of China

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the online channel strategies adopted by Chinese manufacturers with regard to the Belt and Road. It also investigates the effect of offline channel power structures and maritime transportation costs on online channel mode selection and pricing strategies. The offline channel power structures are classified into three types, namely, Chinese manufacturer Stackelberg (MS) structure, vertical Nash (VN) structure, and foreign retailer Stackelberg (RS) structure. Furthermore, a game model is developed among the Chinese manufacturer, foreign retailer, and cross-border e-tailer to investigate the interactions among offline channel power structures, maritime transportation costs, and Chinese manufacturers’ online channel mode selection. The results show that Chinese manufacturers’ preferences for the online agency selling mode increases correspondingly with the decrease in their market position and bargaining power. Moreover, foreign retailers can obtain higher profits in the online agency selling mode under the VN structure. However, the level of profit for foreign retailers depends on the intensity of their competition with cross-border e-tailers under the MS and RS structures. Finally, consumers in countries along the Belt and Road can obtain a higher surplus in the online agency selling mode under all of the structures.     

Economic policies and seaports: Strategies for port authorities

This paper discusses the strategies which might be adopted by port authorities, given that modern port technologies have considerably limited the scope for competition. It therefore analyses the several forms of competition relevant to ports, any or all of which may apply in any given instance.

It describes the 'minimalist strategy, which consists of recognizing that public sector bodies have many faults, may make many mistakes and that well-intentioned attempts to rectify faults in the private sector may make matters worse. Second, it describes the 'pragmatic' strategy, which involves establishing committees to examine problems and to recommend actions, if they can reach a consensus. Third, it describes the 'public sector' strategy, which involves the port authority taking over all port functions. Finally, it describes the 'competitive' strategy, which involves a careful reproduction of the circumstances of competition, even though there may be room for only one efficiently-sized operator at a time. Franchising, or short-term leasing on any of a variety of competitive bases, so as to produce serial competition is described. Each of these strategies is presented as having its own advantages and disadvantages, and each may be suitable to particular circumstances.     

Small ports in Northern Ireland: A method of study

This paper discusses the strategies which might be adopted by port authorities, given that modern port technologies have considerably limited the scope for competition. It therefore analyses the several forms of competition relevant to ports, any or all of which may apply in any given instance.

It describes the 'minimalist strategy, which consists of recognizing that public sector bodies have many faults, may make many mistakes and that well-intentioned attempts to rectify faults in the private sector may make matters worse. Second, it describes the ‘pragmatic’ strategy, which involves establishing committees to examine problems and to recommend actions, if they can reach a consensus. Third, it describes the ‘public sector’ strategy, which involves the port authority taking over all port functions. Finally, it describes the ‘competitive’ strategy, which involves a careful reproduction of the circumstances of competition, even though there may be room for only one efficiently-sized operator at a time. Franchising, or short-term leasing on any of a variety of competitive bases, so as to produce serial competition is described. Each of these strategies is presented as having its own advantages and disadvantages, and each may be suitable to particular circumstances.     

上海国际航运中心内港口的区域协同发展研究

上海洋山深水港的开港,浙江宁波舟山两港的一体化以及江苏8大港口的资源整合,使长三角港口群的竞争与合作关系成为各地政府和企业关注的重要课题。以聚合度这一重要的经济学指标回顾这一地区港口发展的历史情况,并以大量的数据和竞争情报分析来探讨三地港口发展的深层次矛盾,即各地大力发展港口产业的利益着眼点不一致。为了解决这一矛盾,使上海国际航运中心内港口群能够协同发展,不但需要在经济层面上照顾到各方面的利益,更重要的是如何对3个地区的港口进行科学的定位发展。     

Shipper's councils: role and responsibility—a western view

This paper first presents arguments for having public sector port authorities. They can deal, flexibly and permanently, with property rights within their own areas. They can plan and regulate port areas comprehensively. They can provide ‘public goods’. They can deal, in various ways, with externalities. They can promote efficiency, whether their own (if they operate as a comprehensive port) or that of the private sector (if they are largely landlords). For example, if their policy is to rely on the private sector to produce efficiency through competition then they can see to it that there actually is competition and not any kind of cartel or monopoly. Examples are cited where this last function has not been performed. The exception for single-user ports is noted.

Against them are the general disadvantages of public authorities (or bureaucracies)—though examples are cited where port authorities had very small staffs. The common instances of ‘market failure’ may thus be contrasted with those of ‘government failure’. Finally, a pragmatic approach is advocated, tailored to the needs and resources of the country in question. The increasing effect of the economies of scale in port technology, and its limitation on competition, is, however, noted and to be discussed in the next paper.