International Trade Routes Research Articles

Towards a Strategic Management Framework for Enhancing South Africa’s Seafarer Development Programme: Addressing Placement Challenges

The global shortage of qualified seafarers, particularly at the officer level, presents both a challenge and an opportunity for South Africa. Despite the country’s strategic location along critical international trade routes, South African seafarers face significant challenges in obtaining placement upon completion of their training. This article presents a systematic literature review on the placement challenges experienced by seafarers, supplemented with qualitative insights from South African stakeholders. The findings highlight the structural issues within South Africa’s seafarer development programme and propose a strategic management framework to improve the placement and competitiveness of South African seafarers in the global maritime industry.

Reiβscheiben ingots as markers of copper imports to the market of Medieval Novgorod

During the Middle Ages, massive ingots were the standard type of copper raw material obtained from European mines and exported across the Baltic and North Seas over vast distances. In Russian literature, they are known as “flat cakes” and “loafs”, while in the foreign one they are referred to as Reißscheiben (torn out disk). The article provides information about 24 cases of finding massive ingots. Most of the finds are concentrated on international trade routes and mark the main directions of movement of copper raw materials from mining operations located in the Western Carpathians, Erzgebirge and Eastern Alps, to the North and Baltic Seas. Recording and mapping of Reißscheiben that were not subject to remelting, and, therefore, retained the primary “isotopic marks”, provide valuable information for identifying sources of metal and establishing the routes of importing metal raw materials to the territory of medieval Rus. Huge volumes of copper shipwreck cargoes can be considered as reference samples when interpreting Pb-Pb data obtained for both different types of ingots and finished products.

China's International Trade of Parrots from 1981 to 2022 Based on the CITES Trade Database.

Parrots are popular with pet consumers and are one of the most traded groups of live birds around the world. China has been considered as an important country in bird trades, but we know little about China's import and export of parrots. Using the latest data available from the CITES Trade Database, we analyzed China's import and export of CITES-listed live parrots from 1981-2022 to better understand the patterns and dynamics of these trades. China imported 155,339 parrots of 173 species and exported 608,987 parrots of 42 species during the study period with an annual average of about 18,500 individuals, accounting for c. 5% of the global average number. The most imported parrots to China were Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus) and Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus), while the most exported ones were Fisher's Lovebirds (Agapornis fischeri), Rosy-faced Lovebirds (Agapornis roseicollis), and Yellow-collared Lovebird (Agapornis personatus). Since the early 21st century, China's imports of parrots gradually increased, but exports decreased more pronouncedly, making China's international parrot trade volume declining in the past 20 years. China's international parrot trade routes also changed over time, with the destination of parrot exports shifting from Europe to Africa and the Arabian region, while more parrots being gradually imported from countries in South America and Africa. The vast majority of parrots exported from China were captive-bred non-native species like Fisher's Lovebirds, while a substantial proportion of imported parrots were wild-sourced and the proportion has been increasing in the last decade. The fact that China exported much more parrots than imported suggests existence of large-scale parrot farming and domestic parrot trade in China. Attention needs to be paid to monitoring China's import of increasing proportion of wild-sourced parrots from South America countries and its potential impacts on their wild populations. Close monitoring of and more studies on domestic and illegal parrot trade are essential to fully understand the role China plays in the international trade of parrots.

A moderator of tropical impacts on climate in Canadian Arctic Archipelago during boreal summer

The Canadian Arctic Archipelago consists of important international trade routes, and local surface air temperatures (SAT) greatly control sea ice melting in situ during boreal summer (June-July-August-September). However, the drivers of the Arctic Archipelago summer SAT variability have not yet been fully elucidated. Here, we find that the impact of tropical Indo-Pacific convection on the Arctic Archipelago SAT through induced poleward-propagating Rossby wave train is strongly modulated by Russian Arctic sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA). Negative Russian Arctic SSTA lead to a weakened East Asia westerly jet via equatorward Rossby wave activity. The weakened westerly jet enhances the meridional gradient of the potential vorticity over the North Pacific, guiding the poleward-propagating Rossby wave to the Arctic Archipelago and therefore affecting the local SAT. Conversely, positive Russian Arctic SSTA impede the northward-propagating Rossby wave via enhancing the East Asia westerly jet, resulting in a weakened relationship between the tropical Indo-Pacific convection and Arctic Archipelago SAT. The present study proposes a mechanism whereby changes in the Tropical-Arctic connection stem from thermal conditions elsewhere in the Arctic, through shaping poleward-propagating Rossby waves by changing the background mean flow.

A multi-commodity partial equilibrium model of imperfect competition in future global hydrogen markets

Techno-economic studies are investigating procurement costs of hydrogen and related derivatives across various international trade routes. However, the strategic behavior of exporters is rarely considered in this context, despite similar behavior frequently observed in the fossil fuel world and market characteristics indicating some potential. This work introduces a novel techno-economic model of oligopolistic trade tailored around the value chain of potential future global hydrogen markets. It is formulated as a mixed complementarity problem with a convex reformulation, allowing to solve both competitive and oligopolistic equilibria much beyond the capabilities of traditional complementarity models. Illustrative results show that assuming perfectly competitive price formation in early phases of future global hydrogen markets may lead to overly optimistic hydrogen price projections. This is especially the case within Europe, Japan, and South Korea. In contrast, strategically withholding quantities in export may decrease prices for some domestic markets.

Strategies For Addressing The Spillover Effect Of Mosaic Warfare In The South China Sea Conflict To Achieve National Security Stability

The South China Sea is a strategic area rich in natural resources and a crucial international shipping and trade route, making it a focal point of territorial disputes between China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. This conflict escalates tensions and the potential spillover effects of mosaic warfare that can impact Indonesia's national security and stability. This journal analyzes the strategic implications of the South China Sea conflict for Indonesia, exploring defensive and proactive strategies to mitigate risks and enhance national resilience. This research uses a qualitative descriptive approach based on historical analysis and content analysis, successfully identifying key areas of concern such as increased maritime security risks, the need for enhanced military capabilities, and the importance of regional and international cooperation. Proposed strategies include increased diplomatic engagement, strengthening defense capabilities, intelligence and security technology cooperation, and diversifying economic and trade routes. Indonesia must adopt a multifaceted and proactive strategy to protect its interests amidst regional instability, strengthen diplomatic relations within ASEAN and globally, enhance military and surveillance capabilities, and ensure economic resilience against potential disruptions in maritime trade routes. Public education and adherence to international law are also crucial for maintaining regional peace and security.

THE ACTIONS OF OTTOMAN STATE TO OPEN THE PORT OF TEKİRDAG TO INTERNATIONAL TRADE (1840-1920)

Since the 1840s, the Ottoman Empire has carried out a series of activities to rehabilitate the Edirne Meriç River and Enez Port and bring them into international trade. The inspiration for these studies is the Paris Embassy Report (Sefaretname), written by Mehmet Çelebi during his Paris embassy. While the Ottoman Empire prioritized the use of rivers and lakes only for military purposes, after this date, it was faced with the fact that rivers and lakes could also be connected to international trade routes. However, the Ottoman Empire could not take the necessary steps in this regard for a long time. Among the reasons for this was that Ottoman engineers did not have the river technologies and engineering knowledge developed in European countries such as France. For this reason, Sultan Abdulmecid wanted to benefit from foreign experts. Monsieur Borel, one of the experts he invited from France, stated that although he worked on Meriç and its tributaries for a while, it would be more profitable and practical to connect the Rumelian trade routes to the newly established docks, piers and ports by opening new channels instead of improving this river. In this statement, he also gave great importance to Tekirdağı (Tekfurdağı) Port. He emphasized that if the Tekirdağ port, which was a very small port at that time, was enlarged and expanded, it would be the shortest way to transport all the goods and commodities to be produced in Rumelia to the Mediterranean and Istanbul. As a matter of fact, when Monsieur Borel's statement is examined, it is understood that Tekirdağı port can be a very busy and comprehensive port if the suggested roads and channels to be opened are built. Although river improvement works were not mentioned among the renovation works initiated by the Ottoman Empire after the Tanzimat, recent research has revealed that the Ottoman Empire had a great desire and desire to establish national and international trade routes. In this article, the works and results of the Ottoman Empire's efforts to establish and expand the Tekirdağ port and make it the busiest port in Rumelia and the Balkans between 1840 and 1920 will be emphasized using original documents.

Economic and Cultural Partnership Opportunities between Kupang and Chiba Cities through Sister City Cooperation

The Kupang city government has officially proposed a sister city partnership with Chiba, Japan, through representatives of the Japanese government in Bali. This proposal, currently in the initial stages, aims to explore the potential economic and cultural benefits of such a collaboration. This cooperation involves the governments of Kupang City and Chiba City in enhancing economic and cultural cooperation between the two, with the aim of increasing cooperation in trade, investment, and culture, as well as increasing cooperation in education, technology, and infrastructure. This research identifies Chiba as an ideal partner for Kupang, given their various economic and cultural similarities and complementary potentials. By employing qualitative research methods, this study comprehensively examined the prospective advantages of the sister-city relationship. The findings revealed significant opportunities for both cities, including the establishment of an international trade route between Kupang and Chiba and the creation of a central institution dedicated to the research and preservation of their cultures. Based on these insights, the study recommends that the city governments of Kupang and Chiba initiate negotiations and formalize their sister city cooperation, as the anticipated benefits would substantially enhance the development and prosperity of both cities.

The Usage Of Bakamla Force In Safeguarding The Seas Of Indonesian Jurisdiction

This abstract aims to highlight Indonesia's maritime security challenges, including threats, jurisdictional defense, and Bakamla's role. It also discusses limitations in maritime operational capabilities. This study employs a qualitative research method to describe, explore, and understand the meaning perceived by individuals or groups regarding current social or human phenomena. The research adopts a juridical-normative approach with a focus on the principles of the use of force by Bakamla RI. Data is collected through literature reviews and analyzed using qualitative data analysis techniques proposed by Miles, Huberman, and Saldana (2014) which involve data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. The result is maritime security is an important aspect for a country. Maritime security refers to threats to the maritime. The Indonesian Sea, which has abundant natural resource potential and as an international trade route, is vulnerable to maritime threats. The Maritime Security Agency or Bakamla exists as an effort to maintain and defend the jurisdiction of Indonesian waters for the sake of national interests. In its role, often the threat is faced with a situation in which the use of force must be carried out. The use of force is a last resort to address existing threats based on the basic principles of the use of force and firearms (BPUFF), codes of law enforcement, human rights and applicable national and international law. The use of force must be carried out based on the scale and level of risk of the existing threat, not necessarily the use of force is allowed under the pretext of self-defense.The conclusion is Indonesia's maritime richness faces increasing threats, necessitating careful use of force by Bakamla, guided by legal and ethical considerations.

Debating on Transport Corridors of Azerbaijan in the Context of Globalization

This paper investigates the impact of globalization on transportation corridors in Azerbaijan, which are strategically located to serve as hubs for crossroads between north-south and east-west trade. The main hypothesis is that globalization has had a significant impact on transportation corridors in Azerbaijan, resulting in greater connectivity and trade flows within the region. The recent triumph over Armenia has resulted in significant changes in the region, enhancing Azerbaijan's reputation. Alongside the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions on Russia and Iran, Azerbaijan has emerged as a secure passage between these influential powers. Furthermore, the rising demands for major international trade routes have created a pressing need for Azerbaijan to enhance its capabilities to effectively meet these growing requirements. According to the World Systems Theory, semi-periphery countries play the role of bridges between core and periphery states. Globalization has led to Azerbaijan's integration into the global economic system as a semi-peripheral country. This has resulted in increased trade and investment, which in turn has led to the development of transportation infrastructure and the expansion of transportation networks.

Silk Road Concerto: Spatial Narratives of Architectural Cultural Heritage and Linguistic Landscapes in Xinjiang

Abstract The Silk Road is another important international trade route emerging in Eurasia, and Xinjiang, as an important node of the Silk Road, is of great significance in effectively sorting out and studying the architectural cultural heritage of Xinjiang. This paper tries to introduce the concept of spatial grouping in the exploration of the conservation method of Xinjiang’s architectural and cultural heritage and deeply excavate the spatial grouping relationship between each heritage point from the spatial perspective. It combines the quantitative analysis method of space syntax and topological calculation to provide a novel method and thought for studying the spatial narrative of architectural cultural heritage and its linguistic landscape in Xinjiang. The architectural cultures of Marathi Grassland, Sayram Lake, and Kanas Lake in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region are selected as the research objects, and the linguistic landscapes are divided into two dimensions of official and private linguistic landscapes for specific analysis. In the evaluation of the spatial perception of cultural architecture in Xinjiang, the weight of the permeability factor consisting of four dimensions, namely width, size, dynamics, and enclosure, is 0.6579, which verifies the feasibility of quantitative research and provides a supplement based on subjective visual perception. It is also found that both the official and private language landscapes have the national common language as the dominant language, and the language landscapes of instructional function, behavioral regulation function, and cognitive function have a larger proportion. In contrast, the other languages provide convenience for foreign tourists to a certain extent.

Socio-Economic Conditions of the Arabian Peninsula Before Islam

The aim of this research is to analyze the Socio-Economic Conditions of the Arabian Peninsula Before Islam. This type of research is qualitative. The data sources used secondary data from books and scientific articles. The data analysis technique was by using qualitative data analysis techniques. The Arabian peninsula's economy relies on trade and agriculture. Their expertise in trading cannot be separated from the location of their region, which is very strategic in international trade routes. It's just that before Islam came, the people of the Arabian peninsula, especially in business transactions, were still steeped in the practice of usury.

DISPROPORTIONS IN CHINA'S REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AS A FACTOR OF INFLUENCE ON THE FORMATION OF COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES OF TERRITORIES

Disparities in regional development have a significant impact on the economic This article examines the disproportions of regional development of the People's Republic of China as a factor influencing the formation of competitive advantages of territories. The study of differences in levels of economic development between regions of China identified areas with significant potential for growth and identified constraints for less developed regions. The investment attractiveness and development of certain industrial sectors are influenced by the development of infrastructure and access to resources. The level of education, qualifications and human resources of different regions forms different potential for territories in attracting talented workforce and developing knowledge of the established industries. The level of innovation, research and development in different regions forms competitive advantages for those territories that have advantages in the introduction of new technologies and the creation of innovative products. The geographical location of the regions determines the territories that have easier access to key markets and international trade routes, which accordingly creates competitive advantages for such territories.

Analisa Kepentingan Tiongkok Melalui Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) dalam Pembangunan Infrastruktur di Sulawesi Utara 2017-2022

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is an international economic trade route connecting Asia, Africa and Europe, consisting of around 60 countries. BRI aims to improve the world economy and create new trade routes to increase business opportunities in terms of exports, imports and investment for China. This research aims to reveal China's national interests behind investments or loans provided through BRI in infrastructure cooperation in North Sulawesi. The projects included in this collaboration are Bitug Port, development of Bitung Port, and construction of the Manado-Bitung Toll Road. The researcher used a qualitative method in which the study used a literature study method, which allowed the author to carry out fact-based analysis of the data found during the research. This research results in the conclusion that the cooperation carried out by China through the BRI with Indonesia is in China's national interests, namely helping to improve the economy through easy exports and imports and affordable infrastructure development in North Sulawesi.

ANALISIS KEPUASAN KONSUMEN TERHADAP KUALITAS PRODUK MENGGUNAKAN ALGORITMA NAIVE BAYES

Current technological developments have brought changes to human lifestyles, such as lifestyle, selection of antic goods and communication equipment such as smartphones and other devices. Nowadays it is known that the collection of branded items is also a lifestyle trend such as bags, rings, clothes and other fashions. Batam as an industrial city encourages investors to invest in Batam, because Batam is the most strategic city and is an international trade route directly adjacent to Singapore. The problem that often occurs at PT Tas Import Sukses in serving consumers is that the goods sent are not on demand, so consumers suspect that the products traded do not have good quality. And if there is a problem, the company responds with a very slow time. The purpose of this study is to analyze consumer satisfaction with the quality of products at PT Tas Import Sukses using the Naïve Bayes method, to determine the level of consumer satisfaction with the quality of bag products. And the last is to find out the level of accuracy in determining product satisfaction and quality with the Naïve Bayes method. While the results of this study are that satisfaction is strongly influenced by the level of service, while the second order is product quality, where the average level of satisfaction accuracy using the naïve bayes algorithm is 91%, pression 89% and recall 88.33%.

Study of the Impact of Establishing a Special Economic Zone Policy for Sorong, Southwest Papua

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of the Sorong Special Economic Zone Policy in Southwest Papua. The research approach used in this study is a library research, where data is gathered from various library sources such as books, journals, online platforms, and other relevant resources. The data analysis process involves data reduction, data presentation, drawing conclusions, and verification. The study reveals that the Sorong Special Economic Zone is the first of its kind in Papua, covering an area of 523.7 hectares, strategically located on international trade routes in the Asia-Pacific and Australia. The policy aims to attract investments totaling IDR 32.2 trillion and create job opportunities for 15,024 workers by the year 2025. The Sorong Special Economic Zone offers various investment opportunities, categorized into three main zones: logistics, industrial, and export processing. As a recommendation, the study suggests efforts to actively involve local human resources in the development of the Sorong Special Economic Zone. Rather than being mere spectators, the study proposes the establishment of a national-scale Job Training Center in the Sorong area to enhance the skills and knowledge of local human resources across all industrial sectors in Southwest Papua. This approach can contribute to the growth of qualified and competent human resources in the region. To ensure the success of the Sorong Special Economic Zone, the study emphasizes the importance of active engagement and preparation of the local community. This preparation includes enhancing their knowledge, skills, and understanding of economic institutions, which can lead to more qualified and capable human resources in the future.
 Keywords: policy, special economic zone, Sorong

Con Dao’s Positional Resources: Potential and Orientation in Value Promotion

Con Dao is an archipelago off the coast of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, in the southeast Vietnam, including 16 islands with a total area of 72.81 km2. Through surveys and various secondary sources, the article focuses on analyzing the geo-natural, geo-political and geo-economic resources of Con Dao, thereby proposing the solutions to promote the position resources of Con Dao for sustainable economic development. Results indicate that topography, geology, and ecological landscape have created a great value for Con Dao in terms of geo-natural resources and favorable habitat for living species and humans. Regarding the value of geo-political position, as a protruding archipelago located at the crossroads of international sea routes, the intersection point of two maritime routes from South to North Asia and the maritime route from West to East and vice versa, and the gateway of Vietnam with ASEAN countries, Con Dao plays an important role in the protection of Vietnam’s past and current national rights and interests in the sea. In terms of the value of geo-economic position, Con Dao belongs to a district-level administrative unit in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province as a prioritized position for the development of the sea-island economy of the country. With the rich and diverse natural resources, human resources, healthy environment, and location in an important position on international trade routes, Con Dao is a favorable area for the development of marine economic sectors such as fisheries, marine conservation and tourism along with other types of services. However, in reality, the enhancement of the position resources of Con Dao for economic development is still limited, inconsistent and unsustainable.

Conflict in Yemen and its impacts on China’s interests in the region

The conflict in Yemen, which has been going on for 8 years, has great repercussions for Yemen and the entire region. Yemen’s strategic position has made it a key player in a crucial area that influences energy supplies, and international shipping routes, as well as a point of contact between Asia, Africa, and Europe. China, the area’s greatest economic partner and largest importer of oil, was one of those affected, particularly with the announcement of the Chinese BRI and its massive projects in the region. The prolonged conflict in Yemen has hampered Chinese investments and the construction of several key and strategic BRI projects in Yemen, as well as jeopardising many of its mega projects in the region. It also posed a new threat to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden’s sea routes, as well as the establishment of new military bases in strategic areas capable of controlling international trade routes and intensifying military rivalry in the region.

Analysis of national and international tomato trade routes through the simplex method

Objective: To find the optimal national and international tomato trade routes through the simplex method to maximize profit. Design/methodology/approach: The apparent national consumption was determined from the production, the volume of exports, the imports, and the population of each state in the Mexican republic; based on this, the points of origin and destinations were established, to later optimize the routes through the simplex method taking into account two scenarios, a closed market economy and an open market economy. Results: Of the total offer, 21% is destined to the national market, where only 64% of the offerors supply tomato to national consumers. On the other hand, in the open economy it is evident that only 45% of the destinations through which tomato can be exported to North American territory are optimal, and it is also clear that 79% of national surpluses are destined to trade in a foreign market. Limitations on study/implications: The model was designed with data from 2020, considering all the tomato variants produced and exported in Mexico contained in the tariff classification 070200; the independent variable was the distance between offerors and destinations. Findings/conclusions: In conditions of closed market there is surplus production of tomato in 19 states that allows supplying the states with negative balance. Estado de México, Mexico City, and Veracruz concentrate the greatest demand due to their large population density. The two states with greatest surplus, Sinaloa and San Luis Potosí, destined the total of their offer to the foreign market, primarily because of their proximity to border customs. as.

The Indo-Pacific Context : Maritime Security Challenges And Diplomacy Of Asean Countries

The Indo-Pacific region is considered strategic considering that there are intersections in international trade routes in it. Meanwhile, the strategic value as a geopolitical center is emphasized by the presence of strong countries such as the United States, China, India, Australia, Japan, as well as ASEAN countries. Based of the problem that has been described, the objective of this article is to examine the strategies and diplomatic efforts of ASEAN countries in dealing with maritime security threats in the Indo-Pacific Region. The study used qualitative methods with descriptive research design. This research through the Zoom Meeting application by inviting representative speakers from Universitas Pertahanan Malaysia. The activity will be held on 28 June-2 July 2021. Theoritical framework in this article using maritime security concept, maritime diplomacy concept, and Indo-Pacific Concept. The conclusion is the feud between China and the United States in the Indo-Pacific region, especially the South China Sea has the potential to disrupt regional stability and security. Maritime security related to undisturbed shipping traffic and communications is an effort that the United States is guarding. China's presence in the South China Sea area threatens the interests of the United States regarding sea traffic which will have an impact on the global economy and its country if no action is taken. Countries in Southeast Asia see this problem as something that must be resolved. The presence of AOIP is expected to be able to help resolve existing problems regarding actions that are carried out individually by ASEAN member countries.