Insight and Opinion – Page 13
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“WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?”
COMMENT: The spectre of Brexit has somewhat dropped off the radar with the massive focus on COVID-19. It does not mean, however, that Brexit has gone away, writes Mike Mundy.
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NewsWHEN WILL THE ROLLERCOASTER RIDE END?
COMMENT: The sharpest decline in economic activity in Q2 worldwide was followed by spectacular growth in Q3, but Q4 looks like a bust, writes Ben Hackett.
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THE WRONG ROUTE TO MARKET?
The development of the new container/multipurpose terminal at the port of Takoradi, Ghana is advancing but questions remain about the process – or lack of process – which is bringing it to the market.
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E-COMMERCE, SERVICE DIFFERENTIATION AND PORT OPERATIONS
COMMENT: E-commerce had been growing impressively before COVID-19, with growth rates as much as 10 times higher than the growth of sales of physical stores, writes Peter de Langen.
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NewsTHE R-WORD, RESILIENCY
COMMENT: Around New York, we’ve seen huge sea changes since the beginning of 2020, along with the rest of the maritime world, writes Barry Parker.
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MELBOURNE PORT RENTS: LESSONS TO LEARN
COMMENT: The topic of port rents is an interesting one – a subject that does not always get a public airing due to the confidential nature of concession and other lease/rental agreements, writes Mike Mundy.
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NewsTHE ECONOMIST’S FOG
COMMENT: The life of an economist is currently about as satisfying as a that of a scientist trying to understand COVID-19, writes Ben Hackett.
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Bangladesh Port boom to prove instructive
COMMENT: Bangladesh is the largest least developed country (LDC), according to the United Nations, in terms of population and economic size but even with the restraining influence of COVID-19 it is expected to graduate from this status by the mid-2020s, writes Mike Mundy.
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NewsWHAT ODDS ON LINER SHIPPING PROFITABILITY IN 2020?
Who do you believe about the fortunes of the container liner industry in 2020?
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It’s not ‘dobbing-in,’ it’s ok!
COMMENT: The so-called ‘rule of six’ in the UK is a COVID-19 regulation that restricts social gatherings to a maximum of six people. If the regulation is breached then the offending party can be fined up to GB£3200.00 (US$4095.00), writes Mike Mundy.
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NewsRECYCLING SUPPLY CHAINS AND NEW BUSINESS: EXPERIENCES IN MALAGA
COMMENT: While we may associate the circular economy with more local value chains, a recent initiative from Malaga shows that this is not necessarily the case, writes Peter de Langen.
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NewsGREEN WINS IN RED AND BLUE RACE
COMMENT: All eyes are on the U.S. Presidential election, being held on November 3rd, writes Barry Parker.
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KEEPING IT SIMPLE IN A COMPLICATED WORLD
COMMENT: The bedrock of any port’s efficient operations is a strong working relationship between a port authority and its private sector tenants, particularly terminal operators, writes Mike Mundy.
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NewsNEW NORMAL IS AS CLEAR AS MUD
COMMENT: Container carriers appear to have found the “yellow brick road” to recovery this year with strict capacity management, while the rest of the industry is in the doldrums, writes Ben Hackett.
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NewsTRANSNET: TIME FOR A REALITY CHECK
Transnet, the multi-division government-owned provider of port and rail services in South Africa, has been under fire recently with a whole range of customer led criticisms ranging from corruption to inappropriate pricing arriving at its door.
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THE UK FREEPORTS INITIATIVE
COMMENT: The UK, after claiming that the EU had been holding back the development of UK’s ports, launched a UK Freeports initiative as a major instrument to shape the UK’s economic development post-Brexit, writes Peter de Langen.
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NewsSTRESSING THE IMPORTANCE
COMMENT: In the commercial shipping realm, one of the major disappointments (dare I say “scandal?”) tied to the COVID-19 pandemic has been the difficulties in the movement of seafarers, brought on by a maze of travel restrictions and bureaucratic impediments, writes Barry Parker.
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NOUAKCHOTT PRIVATE DEAL PAIN
COMMENT: The saga at the port of Nouakchott, Mauritania, continues, underlining the point made in the last of issue of PS that negotiated port deals, as opposed to the letting of terminals via public tender, are inherently risky and do little for the public good, writes Mike Mundy.
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NewsBUDGET PLANNING DURING A PANDEMIC
COMMENT: Planning for a 12-18 month period has been difficult during the past few years as globalisation has come under pressure and the Trumpian trade wars with friends and foe alike are creating enormous uncertainties, writes Ben Hackett.
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“Something to reflect on…”
COMMENT: “Autonomy”, officially defined as “the right or condition of self-government” is today a widespread feature of port operations around the globe, writes Mike Mundy.
