European Ports Research Articles

COVID-19 as a catalyst of a new container port hierarchy in Mediterranean Sea and Northern Range

COVID-19 has dramatically impacted the organization of value chains and the pattern of international trade. The manufacturing sector has had to act resiliently, and the maritime sector was no exception. Container shipping lines have adapted their routes, services and fleet deployment with direct effects on many port activities. Our analysis focuses exclusively on container vessels by considering number of calls and calculating total containership capacity deployed within 45 Western Mediterranean and Northern European ports throughout 2018, 2019 and 2020. 2018 is considered as a ‘business as usual’ year, without exceptional events. 2019 is the start of the outbreak and 2020 is the year most impacted by the economic consequences of the pandemic. As we cover at least one port in each country, we considered ports that handled more than one million TEUs per year and if the country did not have such a port, we considered the largest one. The aim of our analysis is dual. First, we attempt to point out the importance of certain ports as major hubs and the downgrading of others to regional hubs, gateways or feeder ports in the Western Mediterranean and Northern Europe. Second, our objective was to assess the way shipping alliances have impacted the ranking of these ports during COVID-19. As a result, this exceptional crisis has not been a catalyst of a new port hierarchy while it has revealed contrasting situations with ‘poor’ and ‘good’ crisis resilience for ports meaning that some were downgraded, and others maintained their ranking. Moreover, COVID-19 has exacerbated the maritime alliances’ shortcomings, their capacity to unilaterally impose their decisions through their Cooperative Working Agreements, regardless of the consequences both for transport users and ports. One of the key lessons of the COVID-19 crisis is that the time for change for maritime alliances has come.

Impact of Covid-19 on the cost of technical services in European ports

Despite efforts to maintain supply chains unaltered as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, statistics published after the second quarter (Q2) of 2020 have confirmed a drop in maritime traffic in European ports. Furthermore, the evolution of the pandemic indicates that stabilisation of traffic at levels prior to the Q1 of 2020 may take years. Port authorities in Europe, in an overall context of landlord port governance, are already being challenged, due to the need to ensure the provision of port technical services (mooring, pilotage and towage). In addition, the cost adaptability of these services to the current situation could be confronted by the European legal framework that demands transparency and proportionality in port rates in order to provide an effective cost of services. This paper analyses the impacts of Covid-19 on European ports, first by quantifying traffic drop after Q2 of 2020 and then calculating its effects on the cost of port technical services, in a general context of lack of flexibility in the cost structures of private providers. Due to this ongoing situation, a rise in rates, allowed by the port authorities, could mean that the prices of port services are not aligned with effective costs, along with loss of competitiveness.

Assessment of environmental sustainability issues for South-Asian maritime ports

ABSTRACT It is evident from the volumes of recently published research articles that ‘maritime sustainability’ is getting much attention nowadays. However, there has been a bias when it comes to the selection of maritime ports. The majority of studies have been done for European and North American ports, but very few have been done for Asian ports, especially when it comes to South-Asian ports. This research evaluated South Asia’s eleven major maritime ports to identify significant environmental sustainability issues they are currently facing through extensive literature review and then sorting these issues based on the Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) technique. Later, these eleven Major South-Asian ports were ranked based on these sorted issues using the Segmented String Relative Ranking algorithm, thereby analysing environmental sustainable practises at the selected South-Asian ports on a long term basis. The top three ranked Ports are Port of Malé (Maldives), Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Mumbai (India) and Port of Colombo (Srilanka).

Automation Processes in the Port Industry and Union Strategies: The Case of Antwerp

Abstract Automation represents a sensitive issue in the debate between social actors of the port-maritime industry. Automation produced a contraction of the number of dockworkers since the 1960s. However, the idea that technological innovation will produce the disappearance of work is not sustained by empirical evidence. For this reason, trade unions have been particularly watchful. Despite the discourses about robotization carried out by supply chain operators, the paradigm of the post-COVID logistics chain is still based upon the human labor cost. During the pandemic there has been a transformation in working conditions not in terms of replacing people with robots, but rather of the robotization of workers to obtain the maximum productive exploitation at the minimum wage allowed. The purpose of this article is to provide an analysis of labor relations and workers organizing in light of the automation processes in the European port of Antwerp. The article focuses on how working conditions and jobs are potentially impacted by automation in ports, and on how workers disruptive strategies are resisting to these dynamics. The following questions have been answered: How do trade unions and dockworkers respond to automation? What are the strategies implemented in the bargaining processes?

Environmental Mainstreaming in Greek TEN-T Ports

Along with recent fundamental changes in several aspects of the port industry, ports come up against formidable environmental challenges. It is thus important and often imperative to mainstream environmental concerns in their operation, planning, and development; improve their environmental performance; and make the transition to sustainable production and consumption patterns. The industry’s greening is largely underpinned by European Union (EU) transport and port policy, with major European initiatives such as the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), the European Green Deal, and Blue Growth expected to give new impetus. This paper examines environmental mainstreaming in Greek TEN-T ports and their ability to cope with upcoming challenges based on questionnaire responses by 23 port authorities and taking into account the relevant progress made by ESPO port members. We argue that all respondents have gradually become aware of the need to move towards an environment-friendly operation and development, but progress is slow, and there is still a lot to be done. Performances vary and depend on different factors, while ports are faced with significant challenges and various constraints. Nevertheless, new environmental standards present a real opportunity for Greek ports to undertake deep structural changes, especially in view of current and future European port policy.

Transportation Costs and Time Impact of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is part of China's Belt and Road plan, is a network of infrastructure, commerce, and investment projects, as well as energy and technology projects, now under construction in Pakistan and China's Western Xinjiang province. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which Pakistani officials have labelled as a "game changer," is the most recent manifestation of the two countries' increasing ties. Because they help to reduce freight prices and transit times, transportation and infrastructure are referred to as major trade levers. This research is primarily concerned with the concept of logistics shipping prices and travel times. China supplies Europe and the Middle East with a reliable, low-cost supply line. The study analyses data in a qualitative and descriptive manner. The study investigates how the CPEC will impact trade in terms of shipping costs and trip time. Transportation and infrastructure are considered critical trade issues since they help to reduce shipping costs and transit times. In order to generate revenues and assure timely product delivery, modern organizations strive to reduce shipping costs and transit times. The goal of this research is to examine the CPEC's significance and its impact on import and export costs as well as transit durations. This study also compares the current path to the suggested itinerary. The study takes a qualitative and descriptive approach to its investigation. The study's starting point was the dry port of Kashgar in western China, with three ports in each European and Middle Eastern countries serving as destinations. The three European ports of Hamburg, Le Havre, and Rotterdam, like the selected Middle Eastern ports of Jeddah, Kuwait, and Oman, which meet China's energy demands, share a considerable trading volume with China. When a 40-foot container is delivered using the current route, the variables time of travel and shipping cost are estimated in the first phase. In the third step, both current and potential CPEC routes are analysed. Because predicting the exact future road transportation cost of CPEC is difficult, the average value of current road transportation costs is used in this analysis. The findings show that shipping costs will be greatly lowered if the proposed CPEC route is implemented. Shipping costs between Kashgar and destination ports can be reduced by 36% for European ports, 50% for Jeddah and Kuwait, and 68 percent for Oman. Furthermore, the transit time from European ports to Jeddah will be reduced by 10-11 days, 15-18 days for Kuwait, and 10 days for Oman.

Occupied Istanbul as a Cominternian Hub: Sailors, Soldiers, and Post-Imperial Networks (1918–1923)

AbstractBetween 1918 and 1923, Istanbul was the capital of a defeated empire and occupied by the “interallied” forces composed of Britain, France, and Italy. Notwithstanding, or precisely due to, these conditions, it functioned as a vibrant hub of global communist militancy. This article explores the brief history of occupied Istanbul and discusses different agents and aspects of communist network-making. It underlines the agency of two neglected actors: a multinational body of communist sailors who connected Istanbul and its communists to European, Middle Eastern, and Soviet ports; and European and colonial soldiers stationed in Istanbul, who counterintuitively contributed to these connections. Finally, it shows how Istanbul, as the multiethnic and multilinguistic soon-to-be-former capital of the Ottoman Empire, provided a fertile ground for communist connections.

Port Community Systems: Accelerating the Transition of Seaports toward the Physical Internet—The Portuguese Case

Supply chains are complex systems that have grown in dimension and spread worldwide. In supply chains, physical and information flows have strict service quality requirements, namely transparency conditions and traceability. Seaports, connecting land and maritime transport, are special components of supply chains where multiple players interact with different perspectives, and conflicting goals may arise. Port community authorities invest in electronic platforms to foster communication and integration with the companies that interact with the seaport, guiding the digitization of the seaport business. In main European and world ports, the Port Community System (PCS) is the platform that supports the creation of a network composed of shipping agents, shippers, freight forwarders, transporters, terminals, logistics platforms, and public entities. PCS focuses on service level, partner networks, maritime services, freight services, logistical services, and advanced port services. These features have an impact on seaport operations, which affects supply chain performance. Digitization within the scope of the PCSs has fostered the development of horizontal collaboration between seaport community partners. The Physical Internet (PI) is an innovative concept that seeks new logistics solutions requiring integration and interoperability between partners in the supply chain, including maritime and land transport. This paper focuses on (i) the evolution guidelines of PCSs and (ii) on the PCS Business Factors that can drive the supply chain into a significant improvement in performance. A survey was sent to a sample of Portuguese supply chain experts regarding the causal relationship between PCS Business Factors and supply chain performance in the next 10 to 20 years. From the data collected, recent services evolving at PCS are promoting a mindset change aligned to the implementation of a Physical Internet. Establishing a Physical Internal in Portuguese seaports could take decades, but it will support the transition to a new phase of PCS, accelerating the transition from Isolated Supply Chains (I-SCs) to Open Supply Chains (O-SCs), thus improving supply chain performance.

Spatio-temporal evolution of the container port system along the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road

ABSTRACT Research on the spatio-temporal evolution of the port system along the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road (MSR) can reveal the development law of ports. This study adopts the Herfindahl-Hirschman index, rank-size law, and an improved spatial and temporal correlation to investigate the spatial distribution and spatio-temporal correlation characteristics of container ports along the MSR during 2000–2019. The results show that 1) the distribution trends among port clusters have significant differences, and the gravity centre of the port system gradually shifts from Europe to Asia (market shares of European and Asian ports decline from 28.15% to 19.83% and increase from 63.80% to 66.78%, respectively); 2) the port system undergoes periodic ‘decentralisation–agglomeration–decentralisation’, and its structure gradually develops a ‘spindle’ or ‘olive’ shape; 3) the initial effect of MSR arises on the economic development of ports, and the spatial occupation ability of small- and medium-sized port clusters increases steadily; and 4) the spatial and temporal correlation gradually increases. The evolution of temporal correlation is more complicated with a bifractal structure in 2000–2010. This study can provide decision support for port development and thus clarifies the investment environment and construction of MSR.

Business Process Re-engineering in Public Administration: The case study of Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority

Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) is a technique based on a radical redesign of the structure of an organization to improve its efficiency by optimizing processes and reducing costs. It has been proven effective over a plethora of private applications however, not many studies based on the public sector have been reported even though it is known to be inefficient. This is mainly due to an overall smaller market exposure of public administrations compared to private companies. However, nowadays, in the age of digitalization, the growing global competition is requiring PA to improve the efficiency of their processes. This paper offers a real case-study of an application of BPR in a PA namely the Genoa Port in Italy, one of the biggest ports in Europe. The following analysis has been carried out through an AS IS / TO BE approach and the outcome of the re-engineering process has been validated through Discrete Event Simulation. The results show how BPR can improve the efficiency of PAs and, particularly, how the port environment can drastically turn into an efficient and optimized system.

ТРАНЗИТ И ГЛОБАЛЬНАЯ НЕОПРЕДЕЛЕННОСТЬ

The article considers the latest trends in the development of Eurasian transport corridors. The EU economies are closely linked to trade in goods delivered by sea transport. The disruption of international production and logistics chains caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent imposition of restrictions in the EU countries has had a tangible impact on the European port infrastructure. For many years, Russia was the EU’s largest trading partner in maritime energy supplies. Post-pandemic recovery growth of EU seaport turnover has been uneven. The results of 2022, due to the sanctions packages applied and planned for adoption, as well as due to the changed global geopolitical situation, are expected to be lower than in 2021. The Eurasian space has significantly transformed approaches to freight rail transport and transit since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020-2021, the volume of containerized rail transport via the EAEU infrastructure grew at a record pace. Currently, Eurasian transit is undergoing a new stage of transformation, primarily it concerns the transit through the Russian logistics infrastructure. This issue has become acute after the sharp decline in China’s use of transit through Russia. Further response to the new external challenges of the EAEU participants in the current uncertainty will remain situational, and will depend on the internal political situation in the member states, public sentiment, threats to impose sanctions, and the risk of losses for national economies. The article attempts to assess the current dynamics of the development of Eurasian transport corridors, taking into account the development of the European port system, Eurasian transit and the consequences of changes in the current global agenda caused by geopolitical events.

Modal shift ambitions of large North European ports: A contract-theory perspective on the role of port managing bodies

Port managing bodies (PMBs) need to respond to increased societal pressures for improving environmental performance. For many PMBs, a modal shift (MS) from road to rail and barge transport (where available) represents a strategic priority. Yet, in practice, few PMBs have set clear MS targets or have been able to achieve their MS objectives at the level of the port cluster. In this context, the extant port management literature has not yet provided actionable and generally applicable conceptual guidance for PMBs towards achieving ambitious MS goals. In this paper, we develop such guidance by following a contract theory approach to the effectiveness of MS strategies implemented by PMBs. We argue that a PMB, in its role of port cluster manager, can facilitate a MS through strategically deploying governance mechanisms based on sound economic theory. Here, an arsenal of incentives and penalties can be used to push port users (PUs) towards achieving MS targets. Building upon insight from contract theory, we also assess the importance of information management as a prerequisite for a successful MS strategy. We formulate strategic directions for PMBs and identify a future research agenda that should allow improved understanding of how MS goals can be achieved in real world settings.

Performance assessment of major European ports

In the recent literature, the strategic relevance of ports has improved, and this paper provides a comparative analysis of 24 European ports. The port performance has been evaluated considering data envelopment analysis and Shephard’s distance function. This latter approach offers an alternative method to address a significant restraint of the standard Stochastic Frontier when the model needs to consider multiple outputs. From a policy point of view, the conclusion could offer valuable insights to support policy measures targeted to expand port efficiency. The findings obtained from the analysis reveal that several contextual indicators must be included in benchmark analysis.

Online Chemical Characterization and Sources of Submicron Aerosol in the Major Mediterranean Port City of Piraeus, Greece

Port cities are affected by a wide array of emissions, including those from the shipping, road transport, and residential sectors; therefore, the characterization and apportionment of such sources in a high temporal resolution is crucial. This study presents measurements of fine aerosol chemical composition in Piraeus, one of the largest European ports, during two monthly periods (winter vs. summer) in 2018–2019, using online instrumentation (Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor—ACSM, 7-λ aethalometer). PMF source apportionment was performed on the ACSM mass spectra to quantify organic aerosol (OA) components, while equivalent black carbon (BC) was decomposed to its fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning (BB) fractions. The combined traffic, shipping and, especially, residential emissions led to considerably elevated submicron aerosol levels (22.8 μg m−3) in winter, which frequently became episodic late at night under stagnant conditions. Carbonaceous compounds comprised the major portion of this submicron aerosol in winter, with mean OA and BC contributions of 61% (13.9 μg m−3) and 16% (3.7 μg m−3), respectively. The contribution of BB to BC concentrations was considerable and spatially uniform. OA related to BB emissions (fresh and processed) and hydrocarbon-like OA (from vehicular traffic and port-related fossil fuel emissions including shipping) accounted for 37% and 30% of OA, respectively. In summer, the average PM1 concentration was significantly lower (14.8 μg m−3) and less variable, especially for the components associated with secondary aerosols (such as OA and sulfate). The effect of the port sector was evident in summer and maintained BC concentrations at high levels (2.8 μg m−3), despite the absence of BB and improved atmospheric dispersion. Oxygenated components yielded over 70% of OA in summer, with the more oxidized secondary component of regional origin being dominant (41%) despite the intensity of local sources, in the Piraeus environment. In general, with respect to local sources that can be the target of mitigation policies, this work highlights the importance of port-related activities but also reveals the extensive wintertime impact of residential wood burning. While a separation of the BB source is feasible, more research is needed on how to disentangle the short-term effects of different fossil-fuel combustion sources.

Foresight-driven Approach to Support the Proactive Adaptation of Future Sustainability Related Regulatory Frameworks: European Port Cluster Study

Seaports (hereafter “ports”) within the European Union are facing increasingly restrictive regulation in the near future from various sources driven by climate change prevention and public opinion supporting “green” values. Ports are comp

الآثار التي تعرض لها السيادة الوطنية في ظل تنامي الهجرة غير الشرعية في لبيبا

This paper aims to highlight the effects of the illegal immigration on the Libyan national sovereignty. The researcher used both inductive method and comparative method to identify and clarify the violation of the national sovereignty with the growing of the phenomenon of illegal immigration, and to study to what extent illegal immigration phenomenon is associated with the national sovereignty violation. The research focused on the Libyan case as it is the nearest country to the European shores; in addition to the presence of human smuggling rings which work, uncontrolled on the Libyan territories, to facilitate the illegal immigration to the European ports for money, which in turn affects the Libyan sovereignty, its stable security, and its commitments to the international treaties and conventions. On the other hand, the illegal immigration might constitute a flagrant violation of the national sovereignty, as the presence of human smuggling rings, money-laundering, and organ trafficking rings might cause disruption of many of the international relations between Libya and its international partners, since Libya is among the countries that have signed the international conventions on the illegal immigration. The researcher achieved several results, including: the national sovereignty might be affected as the human smuggling rings and money launderers constitute a significant threat by circumventing the prohibitions and the restrictions to facilitate the illegal immigration to the European shores for money.

Potential spatial effects of opening Arctic shipping routes on the shipping network of ports between China and Europe

More recently, the accelerated melting of sea ice and the trial operation of container liners in the Arctic have accelerated the opening of Arctic shipping routes(ASR), while providing a realistic possibility for the regular operation of an Arctic route. The normalised operation of the ASR will invariably have important effects on traditional transport routes, reshaping the global marine shipping geography and promoting the geopolitical and economic pattern evolution of the Northern Hemisphere countries based on shipping accessibility. Utilising the shipping data of China and Europe in the context of ‘One Belt, One Road’, this study establishes a shipping network with the normal operation of the ASR through a scenario simulation based on the theory of complex networks and explores the changes in the shipping connection pattern and network structure characteristics with traditional and Arctic shipping lanes. Further, it analyses the changes in the port nodes in terms of connection breadth and depth, as well as the resulting changes in network accessibility, and provides comparisons and analyses of the changes in network characteristics between scenarios to measure the shipping network vulnerability and degree of change. The results show that under the ASR, the trend of "big loose, small concentrated" maritime links is obvious and shows the typical "core-periphery" structure; the Suez Canal is gradually losing its core position in the network under the impact of the ASR, the accessibility of Chinese ports is changing more sharply than that of European ports, and the polarisation process of the Murmansk port is accelerating and the network is more stable and robust. The Suez Canal is losing its core position under the impact of the ASR, the accessibility of Chinese ports is changing more sharply than that of European ports, the polarisation of the Murmansk port is accelerating and the stability and robustness of the network is stronger.

Empires of Vice: The Rise of Opium Prohibition across Asia by Diana S. Kim (review)

Reviewed by: Empires of Vice: The Rise of Opium Prohibition across Asia by Diana S. Kim Simon Soon Empires of Vice: The Rise of Opium Prohibition across Asia, by Diana S. Kim. Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton University Press, 2020. 336 pp ISBN 978-069-1172-40-8, pb ISBN 978-069-1199-70-2 For the larger part of the 19th century, opium was the chief source of revenue for European colonial enterprises. Since many European colonial port settlements gained competitive edge principally by lowering or abolishing trade tariffs altogether, the funding for public works and town building had to be raised through other means. The narcotic trade offered an easy solution, although the moral quandary would ultimately lead to widespread condemnation from the early 20th century onwards. The story of this shift is the focus of Diana S. Kim's monographic study on the rise of opium prohibition across Southeast Asia. Empire of Vices tracks the story of the changes in governmental and public perception of opium as a unfolding drama across three European colonies: Burma, Malaya and Indochina. To contextualise the significance of opium's reverie inducing signifiance, Kim notes that more than 50 percent of colonial taxes in the British and French colonies of Southeast Asia came from the sale of opium to local inhabitants. In a sense, Kim notes that the legitimacy of the trade was a felicitous alignment of 'the fiscal might and moral right of imperial rule'. During this period, opium was largely seen as a drug that delivers a state of euphoria or other enhanced mood. At times, it was also spoken of positively for its ability to suppress pain as well as induce relaxation, drowsiness, and sedation. Yet, despite the positive health endorsement that opium initially received and its seeming economic indispensability, public perception and colonial administrative policy about the narcotic took a drastic turn at the turn of the century towards [End Page 203] condemnation. By then, the narcotic addictive and debilitating properties became increasingly pronounced and a new moral consensus could no longer justify the trading of opium as a reliable source of public revenue. New strides were made by the very same power to condemn the social danger of the drug. What might account for this change of heart? This is where Kim's Empires of Vices offers a much-needed re-examination of the history of opium prohibition. It is a topic that has acquired general familiarity, although how the story of opium has been told is often conveyed through the pathos of tragedy. Kim eschews these moral theatrics, focusing instead on the how rather than the why. If the why is largely a moral question, the how is a historical one. In turn, story of opium told through this book is not a straightforward didactic story about revenue extraction and social control. The problem Kim sets before herself are two-fold. First, she attempts to make sense of the uneven development of this shared reform across the region by complicating the conventional narrative that changes in colonial policies were simply following metropolitan directives or were mediated by transnational social and religious activists. Second, Kim has set her sights on producing a more satisfying and humanistic account of why the colonial state was willing to abandon its key source of revenue, given that the political economy of colonial enterprises were aimed at maximising profits. In setting out to build up our understanding of opium monopolies in all their complexities, Kim creates a scaffold for the unfolding drama using what she calls a layered comparative approach. At the most direct level, the scaffolding offers a way to iron out discrepancies in sources that a historian is limited to when working across different colonial contexts. Such discrepancies are reasons why comparative research is often thought of as a challenging task. Yet, when comparisons are structured as layers, it functions as a narrative device as well. In this way, Kim's comparative approach also propels a wide range of rich and complex historical sources, ranging from colonial policy papers to literary texts, along a chronological vector. The central topic of the book was the gradual establishment of opium monopolies from 1890s...

Social media and CSR communication in European ports: the case of Twitter at the Port of Rotterdam

PurposeThe research objective of the paper is twofold. First, it scrutinises the current state of the art concerning adopting the most popular social media by European port managing bodies (PMBs). Second, it investigates the use of social media in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication strategies of European PMBs.Design/methodology/approachThe paper carries out online field research on the use of social media by the top-25 European ports. Then, it provides an in-depth case study of the use of Twitter by the Port of Rotterdam for CSR communication. Finally, a content analysis of the tweets published in the 2017–2019 timeframe is performed.FindingsEmpirical results demonstrate the extensive use of social media by European PMBs to reach a wider array of stakeholders. Uneven approaches emerge considering port sizes and cultural clusters. The content analysis shows that one-third of tweets published by the Twitter account of the Port of Rotterdam address CSR issues, especially green initiatives, advocating the use of social media to communicate CSR.Research limitations/implicationsThe study focuses on the European domain. A broader sample of ports worldwide should be examined to further investigate the drivers affecting PMBs' strategic adoption and use of social media, mainly to communicate CSR.Practical implicationsThe paper provides port managers with insights to strengthen CSR communication. Given the increasing pressure of the public opinion on environmental and social issues, the ability of European PMBs to communicate their CSR commitment through social media represents a key driver when searching for consensus of stakeholders and “licence to operate”.Originality/valueThe paper adds to the existing maritime logistics literature by introducing a promising field of research.

Seaports in the BRI: Challenges, Solutions and Emerging Regulations

The article examines ways to increase the efficiency of seaport projects within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. It considers the new challenges and threats posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the crisis in the maritime sphere. The first direction of the research was an analysis of the current stage of the implementation of the BRI in the global port industry, attempts to strengthen the influence of the People’s Republic of China (the PRC) on the national port facilities and the reasons for the wrecking of the large, planned projects. The authors note the “rigidity” of China’s “soft power” in promoting and consolidating influence on the maritime port industry. The second part of the article describes the modern practice of implementing the BRI in Europe. The positive and negative aspects of cooperation of the People’s Republic of China with the EU countries are considered. The focus is on the strengthening influence of regionalism in the European port policy under conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the authors point out a natural gradual “cooling” of attitude towards the Chinese investment projects in connection with the focus on strategic sectors of the economy of the EU member states, reinforced by the spread of the pandemic. Based on the analysis, the ways to increase confidence in Chinese investment in the European region are proposed. The third direction of the analysis is the growth of the BRI northern segment, the beginning of the formation of the Ice Silk Road, and the investment projects of the PRC in the seaports of the traditional near-arctic states.