Evolution of regional inequality in the global shipping network

• Published in: Journal of transport geography 2015-04, Vol.44, p.1-12
• Main Authors: Xu, Mengqiao, Li, Zhenfu, Shi, Yanlei, Zhang, Xiaoling, Jiang, Shufei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Coastal environments; East Asia; Evolution; Global shipping network; Liner shipping; Network analysis; Networks; Northwest; Shipping; Traffic engineering; Traffic flow; World regions
• ISSN: 0966-6923; 1873-1236
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2015.02.003

•The global shipping network (GSN) is studied through inter-regional flow connections.•Inequality in the GSN is validated by the uneven positions of world regions.•Total traffic volume is inaccurate to reflect the actual regional development.•Traffic growth of East Asia does not imply an equivalent improvement in its position.•East Asia, Northwest Europe and Europe Med have consistently the highest positions. Global shipping is a backbone of the global economy, and as such, it evolves alongside the development of trade and the elaboration of commodity chains. This paper investigates the evolution of regional inequality in the global shipping network by analyzing the changing positions of world regions during the period from 2001 to 2012. This was a period of both prosperity and recession in maritime shipping. Using data on inter-regional flow connections, the positions of seventeen regions in the global shipping network are analyzed in terms of their traffic development, centrality, dominance and vulnerability. The East Asian, Northwest European and Europe Mediterranean regions have consistently held the highest positions, while East African and North African regions have held the lowest positions. By commanding the largest flows in the network, East Asia assumes a dominant position. The Australasian, North American West Coast, Northwest European and Southern African regions show an increasing dependency on East Asia. The analysis also identifies a few emerging regions that have had the highest growth rates in total traffic volume and connectivity for the studied period, namely South American North Coast, South American East Coast, West Africa, Southern Africa and West Asia. The empirical results of this paper supplement existing research on global shipping network evolution. One implication of the analysis is that the traffic growth of East Asia does not imply that, there is an equivalent improvement in its position in the global shipping network. The paper also shows that indicators from network analysis may be used to provide a more nuanced understanding of port-regional development than existing measures based solely on total traffic volume.