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What is happening in 2024 in the container ports of the Americas?
PortEconomics members Ricardo J. Sánchez and Eliana P. Barleta highlight that in the aftermath of the pandemic, the impact on container maritime trade was evident, as disruptions in global supply chains during the early months of 2020 affected international container trade. With the reopening of markets and the revival of economies, an increase in cargo movement was observed across all regions in 2021. However, global maritime activity experienced a slowdown following the onset of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, coupled with the...
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A new conception of port governance under climate change
In their latest paper, Jason Monios, Gordon Wilmsmeier - together with Gustavo Andres Martínez Tello, and Lara Pomaska -explore the evolving landscape of port governance in the context of climate change. Titled A New Conception of Port Governance Under Climate Change and published in the Journal of Transport Geography, the study argues that the complexities of climate change demand reevaluating how ports are managed. The authors highlight the increasingly polycentric nature of port governance, driven by the need for both mitigation and...
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Investment in European ports, challenges and opportunities from a circular economy perspective
by Peter W. de Langen In line with their “Memorandum for the European Elections”, the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) recently published the “Port Investment Study 2024”, as an update of the ESPO 2018 study. This study shows that the changing and wider role of ports, comes with new and wider responsibilities and investment needs. Dr. Peter de Langen assisted ESPO with the survey, analyzed the responses, and co-authored the final report. Circular Flanders asked Dr. Peter de Langen to also reflect on the investments of...
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The socioeconomic impact of cruise activities: Heraklion, Greece
With cruise activities storming to new record levels, ports and destinations are reorganising their services and upgrading their infrastructures to sustainably host cruise calls and passengers. A critical part of this process is understanding the actual impact of cruise activities on a destination. In a recent study, PortEconomics members Thanos Pallis and George Vaggelas explored the socioeconomic impact of cruise activities in Heraklion, the major port (and city) on the island of Crete in Greece. The cruise port of Heraklion hosts...
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IAPH World Ports Tracker H2 2023: no investment delays and over a third of respondents will invest in non-fossil fuel energy production
The report has been made available for public use, this time summarising results from the second half of 2023 as reported by IAPH members during the first quarter of 2024. The 110-page report, co-authored by founder-members of PortEconomics, Professor Theo Notteboom and Professor Thanos Pallis, contains regional breakdowns as well as micro-analyses of the latest data from IAPH member port respondees, the S&P Global Port Performance Program and the UNCTAD Liner Shipping Connectivity Index. The summary highlights of the...
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China’s investments in seaports along the maritime silk road
by Thanos Pallispublished in Naftemporiki (ed). Focus on Shipping, 28 Sept, 2023 Chinese investments in European seaports have increased rapidly in the 21st century. This increase is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) – in particular, its maritime component, the Maritime Silk Road (MSR) – and is among the economic and geopolitical effects of China’s growing role in global affairs. Seaports are crucial pivots connecting a national economy with the world economy. Historically, however, China was a land power;...
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Americas 1H2023: Is port activity accelerating or decelerating?
By Ricarod J Sanchez The world economy continues to show signs, sometimes contradictory, of both recovery and decline, which extend over time. Uncertainty and volatility have become part of normalcy because of a succession of crises. The pandemic crisis was a human, social and economic scourge of enormous magnitude at a planetary level, and its effects have yet to disappear completely. Moreover, the health emergency was compounded by the intensity of climate phenomena -such as the recent droughts-, the growing geopolitical tensions,...
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Top-15 container ports in European Union in 2022
PortEconomics co-director Theo Notteboom compiled a list of the top 15 container ports in the European Union (EU) in 2022 based on the container throughput in TEU and analyses the findings. "While the ranking of the top 15 container ports in the European Union (EU) in 2022 based on the container throughput in TEU might be a mere distraction from other major port-related themes such as sustainability, energy transition, and supply chain resilience, the table provides more insight on the EU container port landscape: The...
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