The Economist

THE ECONOMIST

THE ECONOMIST

COMMENT: The Game of Thrones aficionados will fully understand the doomsday phrase that “winter is coming,” writes Ben Hackett

23rd October 2019

Put on warm winter clothes

23rd October 2019

THE ECONOMIST

THE ECONOMIST

COMMENT: The global economy is in a flux, not knowing what indicators to believe and trying to gauge the coming of a recession, writes Ben Hackett.

28th August 2019

The good, the bad and the ugly

28th August 2019

THE ECONOMIST

THE ECONOMIST

COMMENT: Shipping companies and ports are currently in somewhat of a quandary; they face criticism that ships are too large or too small, that alliances are harmful to customers and service providers…

2nd May 2019

Sea of change or storm in a teacup?

2nd May 2019

THE ECONOMIST

THE ECONOMIST

COMMENT: As the stock market continues on its rollercoaster ride, the global trade situation is looking increasingly precarious, writes Ben Hackett.

7th January 2019

Souring trade prospects dent port optimism

7th January 2019

THE ECONOMIST

THE ECONOMIST

COMMENT: Ive come to the realisation that using economic fundamentals to project trade next year is a futile effort, writes Ben Hackett.

5th November 2018

No end in sight to flat trade growth

5th November 2018

THE ECONOMIST

THE ECONOMIST

COMMENT: Globally there are far too many ports competing for the same clients and not earning enough revenue to cover the infrastructure demands of ever-larger ships, writes Ben Hackett.

1st October 2018

Capacity excess, cargo deficit

1st October 2018

THE ECONOMIST

THE ECONOMIST

COMMENT: The world is clearly confused as to whether we definitely/maybe have a trade war on our hands, writes Ben Hackett.

30th August 2018

Trade war: an oxymoron?

30th August 2018

THE ECONOMIST

THE ECONOMIST

COMMENT: Demand growth in volume terms remains buoyant at 5.2% in 2017 but does anyone remember the 15%-25% growth rates before the Great Recession, asks Ben Hackett.

21st June 2018

Can all this optimism be justified?

21st June 2018

THE ECONOMIST

THE ECONOMIST

COMMENT: In recent months, global trade projections for 2018 were being upgraded almost as quickly as they were downgraded in previous years. Confidence had returned, and consumers and industry were keen to…

30th April 2018

No upside to downward spiral of tariffs

30th April 2018

THE ECONOMIST

THE ECONOMIST

COMMENT: The 48th meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos from January 23 to January 26 generated a huge amount of optimism about world growth prospects, with business leaders and heads…

5th March 2018

Overcoming the Davos hype

5th March 2018

THE ECONOMIST

THE ECONOMIST

COMMENT: World trade is on a roll with growth not seen since 2010 and for a change it is synchronised across all major economies, writes Ben Hackett.

30th January 2018

Economic growth wont save everyone

30th January 2018

THE ECONOMIST

THE ECONOMIST

COMMENT: Much of the major port and terminal investments over the past ten to fifteen years have been made by private and corporatised companies from the likes of DP World, PSA, ICTSI…

16th December 2017

Forging Chinese connections

16th December 2017

THE ECONOMIST

THE ECONOMIST

COMMENT: The shipping industry is an interesting one; it is one of the least concentrated industries around with far too many players in virtually all sectors, writes Ben Hackett.

6th November 2017

The lemmings are back

6th November 2017

THE ECONOMIST

THE ECONOMIST

COMMENT: Liner shipping seems to function on the basis of a merry-go-round logic when it comes to economic rationale, writes Ben Hackett.

9th October 2017

Carriers questionable logic

9th October 2017

THE ECONOMIST

THE ECONOMIST

COMMENT: We live in a disrupted world where President Donald Trump in America is seemingly intent on destroying democracy and European Chief Negotiator for Brexit, Michel Barnier appears to only be able…

22nd August 2017

A pinch of salt needed

22nd August 2017

THE ECONOMIST

THE ECONOMIST

COMMENT: Globalisation is evolving and the change may well mean the end of the concept as we know it, writes Ben Hackett.

20th July 2017

All change for globalisation

20th July 2017

THE ECONOMIST

THE ECONOMIST

COMMENT: I recently attended the Terminal Operators Conference in Singapore where there was a lot of discussion about digitalisation, and blockchain - it was not clear to me whether the audience really…

3rd June 2017

Disruption takes many forms

3rd June 2017

THE ECONOMIST

THE ECONOMIST

COMMENT: Syria aside, there appears to be a sense of optimism in the air about the prospects of the global economy and the growth of trade despite Trumps “America First” policies and…

5th May 2017

Optimism in the air

5th May 2017

THE ECONOMIST

THE ECONOMIST

COMMENT: We live in a new global reality where diplomacy is practiced via Twitter if we are to believe President Trump and the Lithuanian Prime Minister. This is, in my view, a very…

6th March 2017

Ultimate threat to trade

6th March 2017

THE ECONOMIST

THE ECONOMIST

COMMENT: The world order of things has changed, populism has thrown politics and economics into a new mixing bowl, not necessarily for the good, writes Ben Hackett.

3rd February 2017

New year heralds change

3rd February 2017

THE ECONOMIST

THE ECONOMIST

COMMENT: For those who thought that things could not get worse, they will. At the beginning of the year there was optimism by some that 2016 would end up being a good…

30th October 2016

Yet more turbulence ahead

30th October 2016

THE ECONOMIST

THE ECONOMIST

COMMENT: I have come to the conclusion that economies of scale and the continuous upsizing of ships is leading the way to disaster, writes Ben Hackett.

3rd October 2016

Face up to the stark reality

3rd October 2016

THE ECONOMIST

THE ECONOMIST

COMMENT: In the early days of containerisation ports employed a benchmark ratio that one 1,250 teu container ship (remember that huge size?) replaced four multi-purpose general cargo ships and brought a host…

5th September 2016

Finding a general purpose niche

5th September 2016