IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hal/journl/halshs-00538051.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The worldwide maritime network of container shipping: Spatial structure and regional dynamics

Author

Listed:
  • César Ducruet

    (GC (UMR_8504) - Géographie-cités - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - UPD7 - Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, EconomiX - EconomiX - UPN - Université Paris Nanterre - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Theo E. Notteboom

    (ITMMA - Institute of Transport and Maritime Management Antwerp - UA - University of Antwerp)

Abstract

Port and maritime studies dealing with containerization have observed traffic concentration and dispersion throughout the world. Globalization, intermodal transportation, and technological revolutions in the shipping industry have resulted in both network extension and rationalization. However, lack of precise data on inter-port relations prevent the application of wide network theories to global maritime container networks, which are often examined through case studies of specific firms or regions. This paper presents an analysis of the global liner shipping network in 1996 and 2006, a period of rapid change in port hierarchies and liner service configurations. While it refers to literature on port system development, shipping networks, and port selection, it is one of the only analyses of the properties of the global container shipping network. The paper analyzes the relative position of ports in the global network through indicators of centrality. The results reveal a certain level of robustness in the global shipping network. While transhipment hub flows and gateway flows might slightly shift among nodes in the network, the network properties remain rather stable in terms of the main nodes polarizing the network and the overall structure of the system. Additionally, mapping the changing centrality of ports confirms the impacts of global trade and logistics shifts on the port hierarchy and indicates that changes are predominantly geographic

Suggested Citation

  • César Ducruet & Theo E. Notteboom, 2012. "The worldwide maritime network of container shipping: Spatial structure and regional dynamics," Post-Print halshs-00538051, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-00538051
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0374.2011.00355.x
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00538051v2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00538051v2/document
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1471-0374.2011.00355.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sung-Woo Lee & Dong-Wook Song & César Ducruet, 2008. "A tale of Asia’s world ports : The spatial evolution in global hub port cities," Post-Print hal-03247143, HAL.
    2. Theo E. Notteboom * & Jean-Paul Rodrigue, 2005. "Port regionalization: towards a new phase in port development," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(3), pages 297-313, July.
    3. Nathalie Van Nuffel & Ben Derudder & Frank Witlox, 2010. "Even Important Connections Are Not Always Meaningful: On The Use Of A Polarisation Measure In A Typology Of European Cities In Air Transport Networks," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 101(3), pages 333-348, July.
    4. Peter Hall & Wouter Jacobs, 2010. "Shifting Proximities: The Maritime Ports Sector in an Era of Global Supply Chains," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(9), pages 1103-1115.
    5. Elisabeth Gouvernal & Jean Debrie & Brian Slack *, 2005. "Dynamics of change in the port system of the western Mediterranean," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(2), pages 107-121, April.
    6. Hu, Yihong & Zhu, Daoli, 2009. "Empirical analysis of the worldwide maritime transportation network," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 388(10), pages 2061-2071.
    7. John D. Nystuen & Michael F. Dacey, 1961. "A Graph Theory Interpretation Of Nodal Regions," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 7(1), pages 29-42, January.
    8. Dong-Wook Song & Ki-Tae Yeo, 2004. "A Competitive Analysis of Chinese Container Ports Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 6(1), pages 34-52, March.
    9. Sys, Christa, 2009. "Is the container liner shipping industry an oligopoly?," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 16(5), pages 259-270, September.
    10. César Ducruet & Stanislas Roussin & Jin-Cheol Jo, 2009. "Going West ? Spatial polarization of the North Korean port system," Post-Print hal-03247138, HAL.
    11. Malchow, Matthew Brian, 2001. "An Analysis of Port Selection," Institute of Transportation Studies, Research Reports, Working Papers, Proceedings qt4911j5zt, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Berkeley.
    12. Kjetil Fagerholt *, 2004. "Designing optimal routes in a liner shipping problem," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(4), pages 259-268, October.
    13. Matthew Malchow & Adib Kanafani, 2001. "A disaggregate analysis of factors influencing port selection," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(3), pages 265-277, July.
    14. Rodrigue, Jean-Paul & Notteboom, Theo, 2010. "Foreland-based regionalization: Integrating intermediate hubs with port hinterlands," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 19-29.
    15. Angela S Bergantino & Albert W Veenstra, 2002. "Interconnection and Co-ordination: An Application of Network Theory to Liner Shipping," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 4(3), pages 231-248, September.
    16. Piyush Tiwari & Hidekazu Itoh & Masayuki Doi, 2003. "Shippers' Port and Carrier Selection Behaviour in China: A Discrete Choice Analysis," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 5(1), pages 23-39, March.
    17. Emmanuel Guy & Bruno Urli, 2006. "Port Selection and Multicriteria Analysis: An Application to the Montreal-New York Alternative," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 8(2), pages 169-186, June.
    18. Ducruet, César & Roussin, Stanislas & Jo, Jin-Cheol, 2009. "Going West? Spatial polarization of the North Korean port system," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 17(5), pages 357-368.
    19. Notteboom Theo E., 2004. "Container Shipping And Ports: An Overview," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 3(2), pages 1-21, June.
    20. Ross Robinson, 2002. "Ports as elements in value-driven chain systems: the new paradigm," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(3), pages 241-255.
    21. Josip Zohil & Majda Prijon, 1999. "The MED rule: the interdependence of container throughput and transhipment volumes in the Mediterranean ports," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(2), pages 175-193, April.
    22. Bart W. Wiegmans & Anthony Van Der Hoest & Theo E. Notteboom, 2008. "Port and terminal selection by deep-sea container operators," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(6), pages 517-534, December.
    23. Theo E. Notteboom & Willy Winkelmans, 2001. "Structural changes in logistics: how will port authorities face the challenge?," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(1), pages 71-89, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Julián Martínez Moya & María Feo Valero, 2017. "Port choice in container market: a literature review," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(3), pages 300-321, May.
    2. Balci, Gökcay & Cetin, Ismail Bilge & Esmer, Soner, 2018. "An evaluation of competition and selection criteria between dry bulk terminals in Izmir," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 294-304.
    3. Wilmsmeier, Gordon & Monios, Jason, 2015. "The production of capitalist “smooth” space in global port operations," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 59-69.
    4. Monios, Jason & Wilmsmeier, Gordon, 2013. "The role of intermodal transport in port regionalisation," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 161-172.
    5. Rodrigue, Jean-Paul & Notteboom, Theo, 2010. "Foreland-based regionalization: Integrating intermediate hubs with port hinterlands," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 19-29.
    6. Su-Han Woo & Stephen Pettit & Anthony Beresford & Dong-Wook Kwak, 2012. "Seaport Research: A Decadal Analysis of Trends and Themes Since the 1980s," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(3), pages 351-377, January.
    7. Dadashpoor, Hashem & Arasteh, Mojtaba, 2020. "Core-port connectivity: Towards shaping a national hinterland in a West Asia country," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 57-68.
    8. Ducruet, César, 2020. "The geography of maritime networks: A critical review," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    9. Flitsch, Verena & Brümmerstedt, Katrin, 2015. "Freight Transport Modelling of Container Hinterland Supply Chains," Chapters from the Proceedings of the Hamburg International Conference of Logistics (HICL), in: Blecker, Thorsten & Kersten, Wolfgang & Ringle, Christian M. (ed.), Operational Excellence in Logistics and Supply Chains: Optimization Methods, Data-driven Approaches and Security Insights. Proceedings of the Hamburg , volume 22, pages 233-266, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Institute of Business Logistics and General Management.
    10. Vega, Laura & Cantillo, Víctor & Arellana, Julián, 2019. "Assessing the impact of major infrastructure projects on port choice decision: The Colombian case," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 132-148.
    11. Ducruet, César & Rozenblat, Céline & Zaidi, Faraz, 2010. "Ports in multi-level maritime networks: evidence from the Atlantic (1996–2006)," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 508-518.
    12. Tavasszy, Lóránt & Minderhoud, Michiel & Perrin, Jean-François & Notteboom, Theo, 2011. "A strategic network choice model for global container flows: specification, estimation and application," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 19(6), pages 1163-1172.
    13. Wilmsmeier, Gordon & Monios, Jason & Pérez-Salas, Gabriel, 2014. "Port system evolution – the case of Latin America and the Caribbean," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 208-221.
    14. César Ducruet, 2020. "The geography of maritime networks: A critical review," Post-Print halshs-02922543, HAL.
    15. Wilmsmeier, Gordon & Monios, Jason, 2016. "Institutional structure and agency in the governance of spatial diversification of port system evolution in Latin America," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 294-307.
    16. Tran, Nguyen Khoi, 2011. "Studying port selection on liner routes: An approach from logistics perspective," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 39-53.
    17. Chengjin Wang & César Ducruet, 2012. "New port development and global city making: Emergence of the Shanghai-Yangshan multilayered gateway hub," Post-Print halshs-00717879, HAL.
    18. Steven, Adams B. & Corsi, Thomas M., 2012. "Choosing a port: An analysis of containerized imports into the US," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(4), pages 881-895.
    19. Caldeirinha, Vitor R. & Felicio, J. Augusto, 2011. "A influência dos factores de caracterização dos portos no desempenho, medido por indicadores operacionais, financeiros e de eficiência [The influence of factors characterizing the performance of po," MPRA Paper 30009, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Wang, Chengjin & Ducruet, César, 2012. "New port development and global city making: emergence of the Shanghai–Yangshan multilayered gateway hub," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 58-69.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-00538051. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: CCSD (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.