West Coast Ports Research Articles

사료가 직접 말하지 않는 포구의 사회경제사 ㅡ『19세기 서해안 포구 마을의 성쇠와 거래의 실상』, 서울대학교 국사학과 박사학위논문, 2024.2ㅡ

사료가 직접 말하지 않는 포구의 사회경제사 ㅡ『19세기 서해안 포구 마을의 성쇠와 거래의 실상』, 서울대학교 국사학과 박사학위논문, 2024.2ㅡ

NACD Calls on Leadership to Avoid Additional West Coast Port Closures

NACD Calls on Leadership to Avoid Additional West Coast Port Closures

Econometrics and archival data: Reflections for purchasing and supply management (PSM) research

Purchasing and supply management (PSM) has faced unprecedented disruption over the past two years due to COVID-19 pandemic, input shortages, extended supplier lead times, record international transportation costs, and commodity price increases. Studying such phenomena is often best completed using archival data, such as data from government agencies or international organizations. This manuscript emphasizes how leveraging archival data often necessitates an iterative research process whereby researchers must first familiarize themselves with the data to ensure their scientific hypotheses can be appropriately tested. We further provide recommendations regarding how researchers should formulate generalized linear models (GLMs) to test theoretical predictions. Our approach emphasizes mapping scientific hypotheses to statistical hypotheses, as opposed to centering on issues of omitted variable bias (OVB). An illustrative example is provided where Census Bureau trade data are compiled to test whether the insurance and freight costs for waterborne containerized imports from Asian nations that enter through West Coast ports have risen more than the same products imported through East Coast ports. The research suggests the need to reorient how GLMs are formulated to better ensure researchers structure them to appropriately test their theory, in contrast to the current zeitgeist that overly emphasizes OVB.

Resilience-Focused Analysis of the United States Maritime Transportation System Using Automatic Identification System Data

The U.S. maritime transportation system is a foundational element of the national supply chain, and its operators are under immense pressure to ensure that its ports can reliably and efficiently support supply chain demands despite their exposure to potential disruptions. Understanding the connectivity of these ports is critical to describing the robustness of port network regions in the face of disruption. In this work, Marine Cadastre Automatic Identification System data are utilized to describe a network of 62 interconnected ports (“nodes”) within the U.S. maritime transportation system. This network is analyzed with community detection via label propagation to quantitatively identify regions of the U.S. port network based on shared vessel traffic and examined with the PageRank algorithm to identify ports that are critical to regional traffic flow. The detected communities of the U.S. port network were driven by physical proximity in many instances. However, the Mississippi River and Gulf ports were split based on the predominant vessel type of each port. Additionally, ports along the Gulf often received lower PageRank scores than West coast ports of similar size. Quantitatively identifying port network regions and critical ports are valuable capabilities for discussion of regional robustness or investments to increase region-wide resilience.

On the Job, Off the Books: Organizing Against Worker Misclassification in the Neoliberal Era

Worker misclassification is a form of precarious employment in which employers illegally designate their employees as ‘independent contractors’ to cut labor costs. Non-standard employment arrangements and the emergence of the misclassification problem are expressions of neoliberal economic reform and attendant shifts in managerial strategy. Although scholars and government statisticians have documented the prevalence of worker misclassification, extant research on labor-organizing campaigns in response to this practice is lacking. This paper presents case studies of two successful organizing campaigns against worker misclassification: (1) a United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBCJA) effort in the Northeastern construction industry and (2) a Teamsters campaign focused on the West Coast port trucking industry. Both campaigns employ similar frames highlighting competition, free markets, and the necessity of industrial change to achieve these ideals. We conclude with a discussion of the prospects and limitations of these organizing strategies given the countervailing political and economic headwinds posed by neoliberal restructuring.

A multi-criteria fleet deployment model for cost, time and environmental impact

Most conventional models in maritime logistics focus uniquely on cost-minimization, whereas the supply chain management literature and practice emphasize customer time-performance and delivery reliability. In addition, the environmental perspective, in particular carbon dioxide (CO2) reductions, is highly relevant. This paper addresses this issue by formulating a bi-criterion fleet deployment model, which minimizes shipping costs and transit time under an environmental constraint. The model identifies the Pareto optimal frontier of cost, transit time and CO2 emissions, in terms of generalized costs for the importer as well as the impact of potential delays. The approach is tested empirically on a network of maritime and railway routes connecting China and US East/West coast ports, which simulates the weekly containerized China-USA traffic. The US West Coast ports act as transshipment gateways/hubs via both the intermodal US rail system and the coast-to-coast domestic maritime routes traversing the Panama Canal. Customer preferences are represented through an opportunity cost of flow time. The numerical results show a convex operational cost curve as a function of time reductions, i.e., increasing marginal cost for time. However, given the correlation of slow steaming and line cost reductions, the results for emission restrictions show that the impact primarily affects shippers in the form of longer lead times, not liners that benefit from lower costs. Both results suggest that resolution of the conflict between liners and shippers will involve addressing difficult issues in market, regulatory and technological development.

Correction to: Efficiency drivers for the South Pacific West coast port terminals: a two-stage non-convex metafrontier dea approach

Correction to: Efficiency drivers for the South Pacific West coast port terminals: a two-stage non-convex metafrontier dea approach

Efficiency drivers for the South Pacific West coast port terminals: a two-stage non-convex metafrontier dea approach

We measure technical efficiency of Peruvian and Chilean port terminals, to evaluate the influence of certain contextual variables in the terminals’ efficiency levels. The sample includes 14 port terminals from 2004 to 2014. Due to the potential differences, we have estimated a DEA model in a non-convex metafrontier framework. Afterwards, we estimated all the regression models proposed in the literature that could be used to explain not only the technical efficiency estimated with respect to the metafrontier (TE*) but also each one of its components: the technical efficiency with respect to the group-specific frontier (TEk) and the technological gap ratio (TGR). Results are robust across models.

International intermodal container shipping network in South Asia: modelling and policy simulations

This paper focuses on the international intermodal container cargo shipping network in South Asia. A two-layered network assignment model of international container cargo is applied to this region for simulating the impact of policies designed to increase the level of international logistics infrastructure. The first simulation, which focuses on the improvements of the road and rail networks around the largest port in this region (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, or JNPT), reveals that Indian west coast ports are very competitive in acquiring cargo both originating from and destined to Delhi. More importantly, these west coast ports face critical capacity constraints for hinterland shipping around JNPT. The second simulation estimates the effect of the recommencement of the international ferry connecting South India and Sri Lanka and suggests that the reduction of cross-border barriers and improving connected rail services are essential for promoting the international ferry service.

International intermodal container shipping network in South Asia: modelling and policy simulations

This paper focuses on the international intermodal container cargo shipping network in South Asia. A two-layered network assignment model of international container cargo is applied to this region for simulating the impact of policies designed to increase the level of international logistics infrastructure. The first simulation, which focuses on the improvements of the road and rail networks around the largest port in this region (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, or JNPT), reveals that Indian west coast ports are very competitive in acquiring cargo both originating from and destined to Delhi. More importantly, these west coast ports face critical capacity constraints for hinterland shipping around JNPT. The second simulation estimates the effect of the recommencement of the international ferry connecting South India and Sri Lanka and suggests that the reduction of cross-border barriers and improving connected rail services are essential for promoting the international ferry service.

Field surveys and numerical modelling of the 2004 December 26 Indian Ocean tsunami in the area of Mumbai, west coast of India

ABSTRACTIn the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean (Sumatra-Andaman) tsunami, numerous survey teams investigated its effects on various locations across the Indian Ocean. However, these efforts were focused only on sites that experienced major destruction and a high death toll. As a consequence, some Indian Ocean coastal megacities were not examined. Among the cities not surveyed was Mumbai, the principal west coast port and economical capital of India with a population of more than 12 million. Mumbai is at risk of tsunamis from two major subduction zones in the Indian Ocean: the Sumatra–Andaman subduction zone (SASZ) and the Makran subduction zone (MSZ). As a part of the present study, we conducted a field survey of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami effects in Mumbai, analysed the available tide gauge records and performed tsunami simulations. Our field survey in 2018 January found run-up heights of 1.6−3.3 m in the Mumbai area. According to our analysis of tide gauge data, tsunami trough-to-crest heights in Okha (550 km to the north of Mumbai) and in Mormugao (410 km to the south of Mumbai) were 46 cm and 108 cm, respectively. Simulations of a hypothetical MSZ Mw 9.0 earthquake and tsunami, together with the Mw 9.1 Sumatra–Andaman earthquake and tsunami, show that the tsunami heights generated in Mumbai by an MSZ tsunami would be significantly larger than those generated by the 2004 Sumatra–Andaman tsunami. This result indicates that future tsunami hazard mitigation for Mumbai needs to be based on a potential large MSZ earthquake rather than an SASZ earthquake.

Widening the Panama Canal and U.S. ports: historical and economic impact analyses

ABSTRACTThe economic history of the U.S. illustrates how the role of many cities has been changed by being seaports or located on navigable rivers or lakes. Based on the widening of the Panama Canal in 2016, the West Coast ports that include the west coast seaports of California, Oregon, and Washington were expected to become less important, while the freight shares of the East Coast and Gulf ports would increase. By how much it has been not easy to measure or predict so far, but this study attempted to define some of the key parameters in the measurement. As well as several relevant background topics, both the demand- and supply-side versions of the National Interstate Economic Model, have been applied for the measurement of economic impacts. U.S. port authorities and policy makers at the local and national levels who respond and develop plans for coping with the new realities of the Panama Canal are able to understand the extent to which changes in shippers’ and land-mode transporters’ behaviors would undermine the logistics and the costs of their activities. Therefore, this study is important for a diverse spectrum of port development strategies in the U.S. to respond to the Canal expansion.

Coupled changes in biomass and distribution drive trends in availability of fish stocks to US West Coast ports

AbstractFishing communities are increasingly required to adapt to environmentally driven changes in the availability of fish stocks. Here, we examined trends in the distribution and biomass of five commercial target species (dover sole, thornyheads, sablefish, lingcod, and petrale sole) on the US west coast to determine how their availability to fishing ports changed over 40 years. We show that the timing and magnitude of stock declines and recoveries are not experienced uniformly along the coast when they coincide with shifts in species distributions. For example, overall stock availability of sablefish was more stable in southern latitudes where a 40% regional decline in biomass was counterbalanced by a southward shift in distribution of >200 km since 2003. Greater vessel mobility and larger areal extent of fish habitat along the continental shelf buffered northerly ports from latitudinal changes in stock availability. Landings were not consistently related to stock availability, suggesting that social, economic, and regulatory factors likely constrain or facilitate the capacity for fishers to adapt to changes in fish availability. Coupled social–ecological analyses such as the one presented here are important for defining community vulnerability to current and future changes in the availability of important marine species.

Lessons From Placing an Observer on Commercial Cargo Ships Off the U.S. West Coast: Utility as an Observation Platform and Insight Into Ship Strike Vulnerability

Ship strikes of whales are a growing concern around the world and especially along the U.S. West Coast, home to some of busiest ports in the world and where ship strikes on a number of species including blue, fin, and humpback whales have been documented. This trial program examined the feasibility, logistics, industry cooperation, and effectiveness of placing an observer on board a commercial ship. An experienced marine mammal observer went on five voyages, spanning over eight days on ships operating between U.S. West Coast ports. Daylight observations were conducted over 68hrs and covered over 1300nm as ships transited between three ports (Seattle, Oakland, and LA/Long Beach(LA/LB)). Sightings of large whales were reported on all (n=42), totaling an estimated 57 individuals that included humpback, blue, fin and beaked whales. Close encounters of large whales occurred, (on one occasion a near miss, estimated at 40m, of two humpbacks) and on another, a ship chose to alter course to avoid whale sightings in its path identified by the observer. All ships personnel cooperated and voluntarily aided in the observations even after initial skepticism by some crew about the program. While most effort on mitigating ship strikes along the U.S. West Coast has focused on shipping lanes, the vast majority of these sightings occurred outside these lanes and on the transit routes, emphasizing the need for added attention to these areas. This experiment demonstrates the effectiveness and promise of observations from ships providing critical information on whale locations at risk to ship strikes.

A Study on the Port Competitiveness of Korea-China Car-Ferry Routes: Focused on the Ports of the Yellow Sea

Purpose - This research aims to analyze the competitiveness of the ports where the Car-Ferry routes are operated between Korea-China. Design/methodology/approach - This research is exercised on the West coast ports such as Incheon, Pyeongtaek and Gunsan in Korea and Shandong provinces as Qingdao, Yantai and Weihai in China using Entropy weighted factors and the quantitative SWOT through distinguishing the internal factor and external factor. Findings - The result showed that handled automation and information ranked the most important factor in the internal factors and the amount of Foreign Direct Investment was the most important factor in the external factors. Research implications or Originality - According to positioning competitiveness of each port, Qingdao port was the greatest competitive port comparing with other ports in the Yellow sea, and Incheon port and Yantai port were followed it. In order to enhance the competitiveness of ports, they should invest technology through Radio-Frequency Identification, Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things for port service level. Furthermore, for the socio-economic stability, they have to make an effort to create the environment for Foreign Direct Investment and cargo marketing. This study can contribute the information to the decision makers to strengthen the competitiveness of ports.

Gulf Coast Port Selection Using Multiple-Objective Decision Analysis

In today’s competitive global markets, ports play a vital role in global supply chain operations. A port selection model was developed to demonstrate the potential to aid shipping line companies with decisions to select the best ports in the U.S. Gulf Coast. Because port selection is complex, is dynamic, and includes multiple objectives, a multiple-objective decision analysis quantified the value of the various ports using industry data and an industry expert’s knowledge. In addition, a corresponding cost model was developed using available cost data for each port. Monte Carlo simulation analyzed the uncertainties in the value and cost models. For the demonstration model scenario assumptions, the results show that the Houston port would be the best alternative for shipping lines in the Gulf Coast. The value model also identified opportunities for improvement for each port compared with the best West Coast port. The demonstration models show that port data exist to support the development of a multiple-objective decision analysis model and a cost model that can provide useful insights to port selection decision makers. Furthermore, these models can be easily tailored to support port selection in other regions by tailoring the objectives and measures to the decision-maker objectives.

An Assessment of the Impacts on the International Container Transport and the World Economy Resulting from the 2014/15 U.S. West Coast Port Disruption

The development of global supply chains has progressed as a result of reduced transport costs and lead times associated with the expansion of the global container trade. The division of labor between production processes has been internationalized, and the trade in raw materials, parts, and capital goods between countries has significantly expanded. In addition, a “just-in-time” production and delivery system has been introduced, enabling the manufacturing and delivery of required quantities of products on demand. However, this extensive, highly efficient, and cutting-edge supply chain system is vulnerable in the face of various disasters. In the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake, the disruption in the supply of auto parts from Japan slowed down the production of cars, globally. This indicates that the impacts of a disaster spread throughout a global supply chain. At the same time, the stagnation of transport can lead to an equivalent outcome. In this context, maritime transport and port operations face the risk of stagnation induced not just by natural disasters but also by man-made disasters such as strikes, explosive accidents, terrorism, and bankruptcy of shipping companies. Against this background, a review of the 2014/15 U.S. West Coast port disruptions was conducted to assess its impact on the international container transport and the world economy. The findings of the study indicated that the disruption induced an additional two weeks of transportation lead time between the United States and East Asian countries. Direct losses were estimated at above US$7 billion and indirect losses were estimated within a range of US$6 to 8 billion. In addition, a procedure is proposed for reducing the economic impacts of the stagnation of maritime transport and port operations on world trade.

“A Vast War Establishment”

Records of 1943 Congressional sub-committee hearings in Long Beach, California, provide insight into the impact of World War II on a West Coast port city. Local officials testified to the sudden, overwhelming needs in housing and city services and to the impact of the rapid growth of shipyards, aircraft industry, and naval facilities.

Post-Panamax-effects on Major U.S. Ports

The role of large U.S. port cities has been affected by mega transportation infrastructure, such as seaports or navigable ports through rivers or lakes. Adapting to the globalization process, which has brought speeder changes, requires developing strategic operation in order for port management to survive in the internationally competitive urban systems. The port-dependent urban areas need to integrate their economic activities into the scope and complexity of city services and commodity activities in order to convey international trade more efficiently. This paper delivers what components need to be considered to understand the maritime shipping route changes and what types of methods have been applied to measure the changes from the Panama Canal expansion. While it is still important to build a sophisticated state-of-the-art model to conduct empirical analysis, this paper only discusses what the expected changes would occur on both the West Coast and South East Coast ports, specifically the Port of New York and New Jersey (PNYNJ) with various limitations. Simultaneous responses to the economic impacts on the other states of the U.S. made it difficult to forecast the economic effects on PNYNJ of the Panama Canal expansion. While the West Coast ports or major ports in Southeast Asia may experience a potential reduction in trade volume, they may inversely improve the utility of these ports; still, it is not easy to predict the change quantifiably. The international port authorities and policy makers, at national and local levels, who are responsible for developing seaport plans on the new realities of the Canal expansion and in the context of global maritime shipping, also need to understand changes in various inter-connected behaviors related to shipping, trucking and rail-related companies. This is because these behaviors may affect the choice of logistics, labor costs, and the status of economic and transport hubs. Finally, this study demonstrates the necessity of developing plausible scenarios that account for the investment strategy of the PNYNJ.

Shippers’ Changing Priorities in Port Selection Decision – A Survey Analysis Using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)

This paper analyzes different criterion that shippers employ in their port selection process. It uses results from a survey conducted on regional shippers from the chemical and life sciences industries that ship full container and LCL cargo of hazardous and non-hazardous chemicals westbound (from U.S. east coast to Asia). Using an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) framework and participants’ comparative scores, factors affecting a shipper’s port choice are prioritized. Findings suggest that port congestion and delays on the west coast ports in the U.S. and its effect on shippers’ supply chains have changed their priorities; price and port characteristics are no longer their primary decision factors.