ABSTRACT
Ports are major players in the global trade, serving as the transport nodes that facilitate the flow of cargoes across global supply chains. Hub ports were created pursuant to a soaring growth of the global trade, which has quadruplicated in an effort to connect the seaborne commodities with the inland infrastructure. A port’s significance is directly related to its location and the niche it may represent. Designated transshipment hub ports have been developed owing to an increasing demand for gateway ports. Industry analysts consider that provided the sustainability of demand growth, the option of hub ports may not be plausible in the long run, since direct service costs are more competitive compared to transshipment hubs. Port competition typically has two contradicting effects in the industry: healthy antagonism, which leads to improved services, increased efficiency, quality, and productivity, and reduced time delays at port.
