ABSTRACT
The shipping industry transports a high proportion of goods entering into international trade: it is particularly important in the transport of low-value intermediate products over long distances, where road, rail and air tend to be least competitive. Figure 10.1 illustrates a typical sequence of operations involved in shipping an intermediate product between two plants. The upstream plant is assumed to be a factory, while the downstream plant may be either a factory or a marketing facility (e.g. a wholesale or retail outlet).
