Abstract
The maritime transport sector (MTS) has been impacted by the coronavirus 2019 pandemic, with significant disruptions to shipping and maritime activity along established transport routes. This paper examines the impacts of the pandemic on the MTS, at the global and African levels, and discusses what Africa’s priorities for its MTS should be in the post-pandemic era. The short-term impacts of the pandemic are identified as including a drop in the volume of trade transported by maritime shipping; disruptions due to re-routed shipments; maritime defaults and bankruptcies; and stranded seafarers. To understand the longer-term impacts, the paper analyzes the pandemic’s effect on five critical trends facing the MTS globally, viz, trade tensions, geopolitical developments, structural disruptions, regulatory pressures, and environmental incidents. In the African context, the paper highlights that with a mere 4% share of global container port traffic and a 7% and 5% share, respectively, of international maritime exports and imports (measured by tonnage), Africa’s significance to the global MTS is not huge. Hence, an impact analysis based on the global MTS trends would be premature. The paper concludes that Africa’s MTS in the post-pandemic era should focus on improving operational performance and sustainable development. Africa should also improve maritime governance to ensure that desired developmental outcomes are realized. It is argued that adopting a multi-stakeholder governance framework will be most appropriate for the continent’s MTS in the post-pandemic era. Further research is however needed to identify how a multi-stakeholder governance framework should be adapted and deployed to fit different African environments.
Highlights
Maritime shipping transports more than 80% of world trade, including vital medical supplies, food, and other basic goods (United Nations 2020).1 This is confirmed by the World Bank Group (Humphreys et al 2020)
Notteboom and Pallis (2020) identify in the IAPH-WPSP Port Economic Impact barometer survey (July 2020) that approximately 33% of surveyed ports reported a decline in the number of port calls made by container vessels of 5–25% compared with a normal situation3
A central objective of this paper is to identify relevant governance frameworks for Africa’s maritime transport sector (MTS), and to examine how these frameworks may be affected in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic
Summary
Maritime shipping transports more than 80% of world trade, including vital medical supplies, food, and other basic goods (United Nations 2020). This is confirmed by the World Bank Group (Humphreys et al 2020). Maritime shipping transports more than 80% of world trade, including vital medical supplies, food, and other basic goods (United Nations 2020).. Maritime shipping transports more than 80% of world trade, including vital medical supplies, food, and other basic goods (United Nations 2020).1 This is confirmed by the World Bank Group (Humphreys et al 2020). The global maritime transport sector (MTS) has been significantly impacted by the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. 16% reported declines (in excess of 25%) in port calls made by other cargo vessels relative to a normal situation. The situation for container and other-cargo vessels is gradually returning to normal (pre-COVID-19) levels, even though roll-on-roll-off (Ro-Ro) and cruise shipping remain strongly impacted
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