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The Caribbean basin: adjusting to global trends in containerization

Author

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  • Robert McCalla *
  • Brian Slack
  • Claude Comtois

Abstract

Positioned strategically between major east--west and north--south trading routes, the Caribbean basin has become a locus of new service configurations in container shipping. Over the last decade global shipping lines have been restructuring their service networks in the region in order to integrate local services with the newly rationalized intercontinental connections. By comparing service network structures in 1994 and 2002 at three levels of organization—local, regional and global—we are able to show that although Caribbean ports are well connected to the global system, and while the total number of services has declined between the two years, those mounted by members of global alliances have increased. Moreover, services of the global carriers at the local and regional levels are on the increase. As much as the alliances are reshaping Caribbean networks, the smaller carriers are still playing a role, but at a reduced spatial scale. Parallel with the modifications to network configurations are the changes in the port system. Essentially, traffic of the most important ports in the north and western part of the basin has grown at slower rates than the ports in the south and east. These traffic changes are only partly related to network changes. It is the growth of transshipments that is driving the most important developments in port traffic and bringing to the forefront the development of hub ports. The most important are: Colon, Panama (southwest), Freeport, Bahamas (north), Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (southeast), Kingston, Jamaica and Rio Haina, Dominican Republic (middle), and Cartagena, Colombia and Puerto Cabello, Venezuela (south).

Suggested Citation

  • Robert McCalla * & Brian Slack & Claude Comtois, 2005. "The Caribbean basin: adjusting to global trends in containerization," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(3), pages 245-261, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:marpmg:v:32:y:2005:i:3:p:245-261
    DOI: 10.1080/03088830500139729
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. McCalla, Robert J., 2008. "Container transshipment at Kingston, Jamaica," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 182-190.
    2. Pais Montes, Carlos & Freire Seoane, Maria Jesus & González Laxe, Fernando, 2012. "General cargo and containership emergent routes: A complex networks description," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 126-140.
    3. Simone Caschili & Francesca Romana Medda, 2012. "A Review of the Maritime Container Shipping Industry as a Complex Adaptive System," Interdisciplinary Description of Complex Systems - scientific journal, Croatian Interdisciplinary Society Provider Homepage: http://indecs.eu, vol. 10(1), pages 1-15.
    4. Rodrigue, Jean-Paul & Ashar, Asaf, 2016. "Transshipment hubs in the New Panamax Era: The role of the Caribbean," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 270-279.
    5. Adolf K.Y. Ng & Zaili Yang & Stephen Cahoon & Paul T.W. Lee & Brian Slack & Elisabeth Gouvernal, 2016. "Container Transshipment and Logistics in the Context of Urban Economic Development," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(3), pages 406-415, September.
    6. González Laxe, Fernando & Jesus Freire Seoane, Maria & Pais Montes, Carlos, 2012. "Maritime degree, centrality and vulnerability: port hierarchies and emerging areas in containerized transport (2008–2010)," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 33-44.
    7. Wang, Chengjin & Wang, Jiaoe, 2011. "Spatial pattern of the global shipping network and its hub-and-spoke system," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 54-63.
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    9. Nguyen Tran & Hans-Dietrich Haasis, 2014. "Empirical analysis of the container liner shipping network on the East-West corridor (1995–2011)," Netnomics, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 121-153, November.
    10. Notteboom, Theo E., 2012. "Towards a new intermediate hub region in container shipping? Relay and interlining via the Cape route vs. the Suez route," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 164-178.
    11. Marco Fugazza & Jan Hoffmann, 2017. "Liner shipping connectivity as determinant of trade," Journal of Shipping and Trade, Springer, vol. 2(1), pages 1-18, December.
    12. Jan Hoffmann & Naima Saeed & Sigbjørn Sødal, 2020. "Liner shipping bilateral connectivity and its impact on South Africa’s bilateral trade flows," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 22(3), pages 473-499, September.
    13. Xu, Mengqiao & Li, Zhenfu & Shi, Yanlei & Zhang, Xiaoling & Jiang, Shufei, 2015. "Evolution of regional inequality in the global shipping network," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 1-12.
    14. César Ducruet, 2020. "The geography of maritime networks: A critical review," Post-Print halshs-02922543, HAL.
    15. Bai, Xiwen & Cheng, Liangqi & Yang, Dong & Cai, Ouchen, 2022. "Does the traffic volume of a port determine connectivity? Revisiting port connectivity measures with high-frequency satellite data," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    16. Wilmsmeier Gordon & Sánchez Ricardo J., 2010. "Evolution of shipping networks: Current challenges in emerging markets," ZFW – Advances in Economic Geography, De Gruyter, vol. 54(1), pages 180-193, October.
    17. 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.
    18. Tocchi, Daniela & Sys, Christa & Papola, Andrea & Tinessa, Fiore & Simonelli, Fulvio & Marzano, Vittorio, 2022. "Hypergraph-based centrality metrics for maritime container service networks: A worldwide application," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    19. Ducruet, César, 2020. "The geography of maritime networks: A critical review," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    20. Tovar, Beatriz & Hernández, Rubén & Rodríguez-Déniz, Héctor, 2015. "Container port competitiveness and connectivity: The Canary Islands main ports case," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 40-51.
    21. 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.
    22. Karimah, Indra Degree & Yudhistira, Muhammad Halley, 2020. "Does small-scale port investment affect local economic activity? Evidence from small-port development in Indonesia," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 23(C).
    23. Vikas Kumar Mishra & Bapi Dutta & Mark Goh & José Rui Figueira & Salvatore Greco, 2021. "A robust ranking of maritime connectivity: revisiting UNCTAD’s liner shipping connectivity index (LSCI)," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 23(3), pages 424-443, September.
    24. Liquan Guo & Zhongzhen Yang, 2018. "Evaluation of foreign trade transport accessibility for Mainland China," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(1), pages 34-52, January.
    25. Jan Hoffmann & Naima Saeed & Sigbjørn Sødal, 0. "Liner shipping bilateral connectivity and its impact on South Africa’s bilateral trade flows," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 0, pages 1-27.

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