ABSTRACT
A port is a place at which the transfer of cargo and passengers to and from vessels to waterways and shores occurs. The port may be a cargo port, a passenger port or a combination cargo/passenger port. A port is also a place where marine terminal services are provided to transportation carriers such as shipping lines, railroads and trucking firms. Port economics is the study of the economic decisions of the providers and users of port services. Port service providers supply port services to port users. Port users demand port services and utilize the port as part of the transportation process of moving cargo and themselves as passengers to and from origin and destination locations. A vessel's transportation network may be an origin-to-destination, a mainline-feeder or a mainline-mainline transportation network. A port is an "engine" for regional economic development by increasing employment, labor income, business earnings and taxes in the region.
