Существующие проблемы в глобальных цепях поставок морскими контейнерными судами

The world economic and financial crisis that seriously hit the global economy and especially its trade and transport sectors in the years 2008-2009 also affected with significant force the global maritime container transport. This strategic maritime transport subsector is regarded as a driving force of smooth development of the global logistics supply chains and the backbone accelerating globalization processes. However, since 2010 effective demand and potential supply on the global container freight market are in constant state of disequilibrium, caused to a large extend by wrong tonnage investment strategies of container operators. Lack of ability to adapt the supply side to changes occurring on the demand side of the container market has brought numerous serious financial and economic consequences which not only affected the global container shipping operators but also hit other parties involved in the logistics supply chains spread within the global logistics space created in the contemporary global economy. Purpose: The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the dynamics of global maritime container market, especially its demand side which fluctuates vigorously, and assess the short and medium term strategies applied by the powerful shipping operators in terms of their multi-channel impact on the other parties of the global intermodal supply chain and the global logistics system as a whole. Methodology: The traditional method of maritime freight analysis was applied based on container freight and charter indices, such as SCFI or HFI. They reflect the amplitude of freight rate per TEU fluctuations in a certain period of time (e.g. quarter, week, etc.) which is congruent with the effective demand changes confronted with the existing potential supply. Growth of tonnage capacity, determined by the global container shipping operators’ strategies aimed for further development and better utilization of the existing transport potential of container fleet acting on the very competitive global freight market, has been assessed in terms of logistics efficiency and its effects have been estimated within the global value chain. Findings: The obtained results indicate that: 1/ global maritime container transport market is still significantly unbalanced and subject to high dynamics of demand fluctuations, and consequently freight rates , 2/ applied strategies of maritime global container operators in the operational and investment area fail to bring intended results, leading to strong capital horizontal integration in the sector of maritime container transport and vertical integration within the global logistic supply chains, 3/ the situation destabilizes the operations of global supply chains and consequently the global TSL sector, preventing forwarders and shippers from taking rational decisions on a medium and short term basis, 4/ this relatively long-standing situation (from 2010) shakes the foundations of transport and logistics order worldwide, 5/ the beneficiary of this situation on the market of maritime container transport and strategic decisions of global container operators is global economy as well as consumers of goods imported by sea in containers. Originality/value: The approach proposed by the author regarding the analysis of the effectiveness of freight market operations in the context of developed and implemented operational and investment strategies of maritime container operators with an attempt to assess the effects of such decisions within global logistic supply chains has not been the subject of research until now. The obtained initial results which require further detailed analysis, provide significant values, both theoretical (enrich the market theory) and practical (as regards taking rational decisions and effective management of global supply chain).

[EN] Since its birth in the fifties, the maritime container has revolutionised freight international transport providing support to a global production system, marked by the industry offshoring looking for competitive advantages and the configuration of increasingly complex and global supply chains. Within this context, the container has gained a great importance becoming a basic logistic element in supply chains where it plays the role of a transport, production and distribution unit. The success of container is evident if we analyse the evolution of container port traffic, which has been growing at a pace of over 10 % surpassing 600 million TEU of traffic since 2012. The container is, therefore, a key element in global supply chains and container logistics is a field of work and study of enormous interest due to its impact in the efficiency of these supply chains, due to the cost incurred for the operating account of shipping companies and operators (cost which is transferred to the final user and has an impact in the price of the goods being transported), and due to the social and environmental cost associated to the externalities of transport derived from the management of the container fleet. Container logistics has to do with the efficient management of the container fleet, minimising the transport, warehousing and maintenance costs, and maximising the use of the equipment. In container logistics it is possible to categorise, generally, two different categories or levels depending on the geographical scope and the transport modes involved: The international level and the local or regional level. This thesis addresses container logistics at a local or regional level, insofar as in relation to the management of stock, transport and internal movements, trying to react and identify solutions to some of the problems currently facing the port-logistics sector. The research result allows, firstly, knowing in an integral and structured manner the complexity of maritime container logistics. Secondly, specific real problems are identified and addressed for its modelling and analysis that allows for contributing to the improvement of the current logistics system. The following specific problems are addressed: -Modal choice problems for the configuration of internal logistics corridors or chains for maritime container transport. -Problems locating networks of nodal infrastructures facilitating the logistics needs of maritime containers. -Problems related to the movements and management of empty maritime containers. The interest and the academic contribution of this thesis lies as much in the definition and modelling of the specific problems with a significant theoretical discussion, as the empirical application to a real environment and real situations. This has been possible due to the direct contact of the author with the port-logistics sector and the participation in many consultancy and research projects in the cluster of the port of Valencia and also at European and international level. The thesis is outlined as a…

Maritime security is facing many challenges due to war conflicts, geopolitics, sanctions, and pandemics. The supply chain for maritime containers has faced considerable obstacles as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Numerous factors, such as port closures, travel restrictions, and a decreased workforce, have impacted the supply chain. The risk of cargo theft, piracy, and other security events has increased as a result of these difficulties. Therefore, it is essential to look at the risk variables that may affect the security of the marine container supply chain during the pandemic. This research paper highlights those risks through the following three indexes: the likelihood index (LI), severity index (SI), and average risk index (ARI) by analyzing 64 risk factors that were prepared and designed by incorporating the Delphi expert survey technique to prepare a systematic questionnaire. The article addresses worries over the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on international supply networks. The causes of the most recent global shipping industry disruptions and their impact on supply chains have been thoroughly examined. In order to reduce the number of disruptions in global supply chains and lower the direct and indirect costs for consumers, the authors have also mentioned the necessary actions that must be implemented. The results concluded after the analysis pointed to “management activities,” such as human resources or the working environment as having the highest possibility of going wrong, whereas “operation activities” were judged to likely be the fatal ones if the security of maritime containers was ever compromised. The main objective of the study is to evaluate how the COVID-19 epidemic may affect international shipping, particularly container shipping, which is currently the most important link in the world’s multimodal land–sea supply chains.

As one of the most important transportation systems in international trade, maritime container transportation has significant impacts on trade volume, economic growth and expansion of logistics networks. The aim of this study is to identify the main economic variables affecting maritime container transportation and to analyze the relationships between these variables. For this purpose, the effects of economic growth, inflation and exchange rate on maritime container transportation in European Union (EU) countries are analyzed by panel data analysis using data for the period 2000-2022. Preliminary tests within the scope of panel data analysis indicated the use of the "Driscoll-Kray Standard Errors" method as an appropriate robust estimation model for the fixed effects model. The choice of this model is important in terms of increasing the robustness of the analysis results and eliminating possible dependencies in the error terms. The findings of the study reveal that there are significant relationships between the variables. A one unit increase in economic growth leads to a 1.13 unit increase in maritime container transportation. On the other hand, a one-unit increase in inflation leads to a 1.15-unit decrease in maritime container transportation. Finally, a one-unit increase in the exchange rate leads to an increase of 0.36 units in maritime container transportation.

3 - Cross-border logistics practices, policies, and its impact

The COVID-19 pandemic had a serious impact on global trade in 2020. The interruption of the supply chains due to various restrictions influenced the rapid drop in the transport demand. In the last decade, the global containerized trade has noted the growth of approximately 55,5%, with an average pace of growth of about 5% yearly. Container shipping, as one of the industries vulnerable to economic shocks, has noted a significant drop in trade. The role of maritime container terminals as an integrator and facilitator of global trade in the global supply chains is undisputed. Therefore, the role of services provided by the maritime container terminals has grown in importance. This situation generates the necessity to adapt to these circumstances in a way that expresses the need of improving the service quality, as one of the key aspects of competitiveness. The purpose of this paper is to determine the possibility to verify the relation between COVID-19 impacts on maritime container transport and maritime container terminal service quality. Based on the findings the suggested actions for service quality improvement are proposed.

This study applied graph theory to conduct an empirical analysis of the evolution of global maritime container shipping networks, mainly focusing on the 1970s. In addition to analyzing the change in overall structures of the networks over the long term (from the 1970s to the present) and midterm (in the 1970s), the authors examined the changes in the container shipping networks before and after the reopening of the Suez Canal in 1975. As a result, it was confirmed that the initial single polar network structure, in which New York and other North American ports were placed at the center, changed to a multipolar structure, finally forming a hub-and-spoke structure. Subsequently, the authors confirmed discontinuous changes in inter-regional density from 1975 to 1976 caused by an increase in the average number of ports of call in 1976, because the recession caused by the first oil crisis in 1973 decreased the maritime container shipping demand, and the reopening of the Suez Canal caused a surplus of containerships. This study would contribute to accumulating empirical knowledge on the vulnerability analysis of the present and future maritime container shipping networks.

Logistics is an essential industrial sector for the digital transformation. Particularly maritime container logistic processes, which include many regional and global distributed stakeholders and numerous interfaces for data exchange between these parties, will benefit from digitalization. Using real time data about container vessels, truck fleets and containers for process predictions and adaptions will enable more efficient maritime container supply chains. In this paper, a concept for prediction and adaption of suitable cut-off times in maritime container supply chain will be introduced. Dynamic cut-off times at ports instead of static promise several process improvements, e.g. shorter throughput and storage times at container terminals and an increased utilized capacity of completely booked container vessels. Furthermore, the impact of adaptive times on selected process times will be estimated using a sample calculation in this paper.

The purpose of the article is to study the global trends in the development of maritime container transportation, which should be taken into account when reforming the transport industry in Ukraine. The role of containers in increasing the throughput of seaports and increasing the competitiveness of logistics services is noted. The main prerequisites that act as an incentive for containerization processes are determined. The level of modern development of global maritime container transportation has been studied. The dynamics of the main indicators in the world maritime container transportation market is analyzed and the influence of a number of factors is considered. It has been established that the increase in container traffic in multimodal transportation contributed to the growth in the throughput of seaports by 5–5.5% annually and, according to forecasts, should be. 978 million TEU by 2025. It is noted that the largest volume of sea container traffic (64%) is provided by the ports of Asian countries, which is explained by the location in this region of the world's largest ports (Shanghai, Singapore, Shenzhen and others). The attention is focused on the processes of mergers and acquisitions inherent in the maritime transportation market and which led to the consolidation of some shipping lines. It was noted that the world's leading container shipping operators (in terms of the number of vessels) are APM-Maersk (Denmark), Mediterranean Shg Co (Switzerland), CMA CGM Group (France). The prospects for further development of this market are indicated. It was noted that the profitability of container networks over the past five years has more than tripled and reached 3446 million dollars. The main trends that have developed in the global maritime container transportation market have been studied, and should become a guideline in shaping the ways for the development of the Ukrainian transport industry, aimed at the effective use of the transit potential of the state and increasing the competitiveness of this area.

This paper chooses rice container transportation as the case, studies on the relationship between container packing and container shipping, analyse the main operation players, such as packaging provider, cargo owners, port & shipping company, to find its impact on container supply chain's KPI, identify the environmental impact and business benefits, under optimising container packing and shipping solutions. Then, according to the business case and container transport scenarios, it will build a mathematical Model to each scenario, in order to calculate and compare their container supply chain's KPI with different container shipping packages. After analysing the business cost, environment impact and lead time in each model, a decision-making framework will be given for container packing and shipping solutions by optimising the combination structure of different container supply chain and container shipping packages.

Maritime container shipping: Does coopetition improve cost and environmental efficiencies?

Dynamic capabilities (DCs) were found to be a success factor in maritime container shipping (MCS) regarding the volatile future, leading to competitive advantages in digital transformation (DT) efforts. Despite its relevance, it remains unclear which DCs are vital for incumbent maritime organizations to succeed in DT and how DCs need to be implemented to enable DT. Referring to this research gap, this article is the first to empirically classify digital sensing, seizing, and transforming capabilities and uncover antecedents relevant to these capabilities. Thereby, we initially combine the DCs view with DT efforts in MCS, providing valuable insights for decision-makers in port authorities, carriers, and freight forwarders. Answers were sought through a cross-case analysis involving 26 experts along the maritime supply chain. The findings highlight strategic agility, innovation ecosystems, and the redesign of organizational structures the most vital second-order concepts for succeeding in DT in MCS. Implementing the identified DCs in MCS is of considerable strategic relevance, advancing the transformation of MCS into a digitalized, efficient, and sustainable industry that preliminary provides service-based offers to its customers. Consequently, this article presents a strategic basis for adapting DT roadmaps and investments in MCS, preparing incumbent MCS organizations for the digital future.

This paper describes a new conceptual framework to facilitate the resilience analysis of maritime container transport networks, by taking into consideration both local risk estimations of container shipping hazards and their global impacts on the overall safety performance of the whole transportation network. In the proposed framework, a series of risk assessment techniques (e.g. Fuzzy and Bayesian networks), are applied to provide a flexible way for transforming risk input information into the evaluations of individual risk factors; and network centrality measures are used to determine the vulnerability of each container shipping route within the network. Furthermore, the evidential reasoning (ER) algorithm is used to aggregate the risk estimations of container shipping operations and importance of container shipping routes in a whole network collectively. Several extreme risk scenarios are set to measure the influence of risk conditions of different container shipping routes on the overall safety performance of the entire network, and the rationality and feasibility of the method are validated by using numerical case studies. The novel framework proposed in this research supports dynamic risk-based resilience analysis of maritime container transport networks. It provides a paradigm shift of resilience analysis by the integration of local level risk analysis of components and global level risk impacts of components to complex networks. It provides the solutions to rationalizing safety resources between the low prioritized hazards of the nodes of high safety impact and the high-risk hazards of the nodes of low safety impact in complex transportation networks in a quantitative manner.

The whole complex of factors of risk and safety problems in terms of maritime container transportation is accompanied in the article with scientific analysis, which aims to find the most rational organizational and technical solutions. This task is performed in a constructive way, consistently and objectively, using algorithms of calculation and methodological tools that promise to secure control over safety of containers in a terminal and on a ship in the process of goods movement across the supply chain.

Due to the globalization of trade, hundreds of millions containers pass every year through world ports. Such a situation is extremely challenging in terms of securing freight transport operations. However, costs and lead-times are still very important components of supply chains’ performance models. Therefore, the drive for enhanced safety and security cannot be made at the expense of these other two factors of competitiveness, and the processes implemented by the global supply chain links, including the maritime port one, should tend to a joint optimization of trade facilitation and operational safety / security. The research on which this paper feeds back falls within the frame of this mixed performance requirement. More specifically, the paper presents a decision-support system dedicated to managing the risks associated with land and maritime container transportation; this system is based on the modeling of the knowledge of a group of experts, and covers the three phases of risk identification, assessment and avoidance / mitigation.