ABSTRACT
Maritime logistics has become an increasingly competitive business in which new entrants and multinational corporations are eager to gain market share and look for additional financial margins. In addition, the competitiveness of gateway seaports is largely affected by external factors (e.g. last-mile connections, high-capacity road and rail corridors, and logistics resilience), which may facilitate the expansion of the hinterland. In this context, the development of effective regulatory regimes across various transport modes may guarantee fair and non-discriminatory access to logistics infrastructure, thanks to the introduction of transparent rules and the active supervision of market players by regulatory bodies at national and local levels.
This chapter addresses the maritime logistics business in the context of economic regulation, bringing some practical evidence from the Italian sea–land transport industry. Conceptual arguments on the relevance of regulation for ensuring efficient and transparent market dynamics are corroborated by anecdotal cases.
