TRANSHIPMENT IN THE SEVENTIES-A STUDY OF CONTAINER TRANSPORT-I GENERAL CARGO IN THE 1970S

Three costs are involved in sea freight: the inland transport cost, port costs and shipping costs. The introduction of containers has altered the relative magnitudes of these three costs and has brought about changes in the pattern of ports serving trade between the U.K. and overseas. The greater capital intensity of the container system makes fewer port calls and a faster turn round of ships more necessary. The net result of these changes has been to make the concentration of trade through a smaller number of ports not only feasible but also very attractive to ship operators. Will it lead, for instance to the situation where all trade for an overseas region is channelled through one U.K. port, or, going one step further, will it lead eventually to the situation where all of Western Europes trade will be channelled through a single port, involving transhipment on a massive scale from the U.K. to Europe, if the port is situated on the Continent, or in the reverse direction if the port is situated in the U.K.? As a contribution to an understanding of these problems, the National Ports Council commissioned A. D. Little Limited to study the extent to which general cargo transhipment was likely.

• Corporate Authors:

  National Ports Council

  17 North Audley Street
  London W1Y 1WE,   England 

  Little (Arthur D), Incorporated

  Acorn Park
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02140
• Publication Date: 1970-5

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 259-266
• Serial:
  • Research and Technical Bulletin
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: National Ports Council

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Containerization; Costs; Economics; Ports; Transportation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Port finance; Transportation costs
• Subject Areas: Economics; Terminals and Facilities; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00007439
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 22 1974 12:00AM