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.     

Short sea shipping: a Canadian perspective

Short sea shipping has begun to receive attention from governments worldwide, as they seek to reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse gases. Despite a long coastline and its interest in international maritime affairs, the Canadian government had, until 2003, placed greater emphasis on resolving the issues of other transport modes. In July 2003, Canada and the United States signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on Sharing Short Sea Shipping Information and Experience. Subsequently, the federal government embarked on an assessment of short sea shipping through a series of workshops. This paper explores the key issues with respect to further development of short sea shipping from a Canadian perspective. It examines the critical limitations and impediments to further growth of short sea services in Canada and trans-border trade with the USA, and identifies a number of questions Canadian policymakers need to answer.     

测量隧道、管道中的结构性运动：光纤测量应变

预测结构性地表沉降引起的地下结构运动是一件非常重要的任务，特别是牵涉到年久的基础设施时（例如砌筑隧道和管道）。我们对这方面的了解还很有限，例如，隧疏王引爱土体运动时，砖衬隧道将如何变化？现在英国剑桥大学工程部的研究人员提出了一种解决方案。     

Canada and the Liner Code of Conduct: Consumerism and public policy

This paper focuses on the potential effects the UNCTAD Liner Code of Conduct's provisions for cargo reservation on consumers of shipping services, with special reference to Canada. It is clear that as more nations enact flag-discriminating legislation then fewer choices amongest distribution options will exist for the consumer. This will involve nations like Canada in a fundamental reassessment of their current shipping policy, since the rationale of 'free market' competition will no longer be valid: carrier and services options will be curtailed. In the light of this, Canada will be forced to examine the concepts of 'free trade' and 'private sector enterptise' and develope a considered response that protects the consumer interest.     

Private sector responses to port privatization in India

Indian ports offer good opportunities for investors prepared to take a long-term view, and some successful small-scale private contracts are already in place. But strategic direction from the centre is required to accelerate and broaden the privatization process, and ensure that private interest in the ports sector is maintained.     

The effects of marine cargo delays in law and commerce

With the development of door-to-door intermodal services and the advent of just-in-time supply systems, punctual delivery of cargoes is more than ever a priority both for shippers and for shipowners. This paper is about the incidence of delay in transportation, particularly in the marine mode, and its legal and commercial consequences.

The fundamental legal obligations of marine carriers have always included delivery with dispatch. Thus the law would seem to support the commercial expectations of shippers for reliable performance. The authors discuss the nature of these obligations, investigate their adequacy under modern conditions of trade and report on a survey of Canadian shippers and consignees.

The authors conclude that there appears to be a divergence in the toleration of delay, but that few of the Canadian companies suffering unacceptable delays received, or even sought, financial compensation and none of them planned to do more. The authors speculate about their reasons for absorbing the losses incurred through unacceptable delays. The evidence from the survey is that shippers, in spite of their dissatisfaction with the resolution or outcome of incidents of unacceptable delay, are loath to seek compensation through legal means, but instead prefer to resort to a range of commercial actions.