A study on container port competitiveness and complementarity under current market settings

• Main Author: Teo, Cai Rui.
• Other Authors: Lam Siu Lee
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Maritime studies::Maritime management and business
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/40687
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This study aims to explore the factors determining the competitiveness of container ports in recent market settings, as well as possible complementarity among ports in the form of sister port agreements. The competitive study was conducted on a qualitative basis, where transhipment hub ports and gateway ports were dealt with separately due to their difference in nature. In depth interviews are carried out with the 3 key stakeholders in a port environment, namely the shipper, carrier and terminal operators. Issues discussed during the interviews mainly revolve around the attractiveness of a port to carriers and shippers, and measures that terminal operators could possibly engage in to enhance their competitiveness. Inputs from these 3 perspectives are then compared and analysed to determine how it will contribute to a port’s overall competitiveness in current market conditions. The second part of the study focuses on sister port agreements signed among port authorities and its possible impacts on port complementarity. Through different levels of cooperation among ports such as information sharing regarding port operations and management, construction, training, technology, and bi-lateral trade promotions, how much of these efforts eventually contribute towards higher throughputs is being explored. Finally, throughput figures of a few sister port pairs from pre-agreement to post-agreement are then analysed for impacts of sister port agreements on container throughputs.