A Qualitative Statistics of Container Throughput Loss of a Port City

摘要

Ports with their hinterlands have long been the engines for city economic prosperity around the world. With the development of transportation networks and port infrastructures, enterprises in China have more choices of sea ports for their containers. This leads to crossing economic hinterland and fierce competition among ports. Therefore, container throughput loss can indicate the problems of port construction, transportation networks and city plan. However, there is no mature statistics to do this. The first part of this paper analyzes the structure of container traffic in a port city and set up a container flow model. Further analysis on container statistics leads to a creative model of container throughput loss. The second part makes an empirical test of City A in Pearl-river Delta which shows its container throughput loss for the first time. The model can also apply to other port cities with crossing hinterlands which might provide precious advice for decision makers.