ABSTRACT
A maritime transport chain is a spatial network over which water carriers, land carriers, ports and shippers are involved in the movement of cargo. Cargo will be transported over a maritime transport chain: if shippers are willing to provide cargo to carriers for transport over the chain; if carriers are willing to transport cargo received from shippers over the chain; and if ports are willing to interchange cargo between water carriers and/or land carriers for transport over the chain. The transportation of seaborne trade occurs within maritime transport chains. "Maritime transport is the backbone of globalization and lies at the heart of cross-border transport networks that support supply chains and enable international trade". International trade is the exchange of merchandise and services between countries. The extent to which transportation services are available to trading countries for the transportation of their international merchandise trade affects the trade competitiveness of these countries.
