Network evolution of major shipping routes: Perspectives from dominant ports and shipping lines

IF 6.3 2区工程技术 Q1 ECONOMICS

Journal of Transport Geography Pub Date : 2025-07-28 DOI:10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2025.104376

Hoshi Tagawa , Qiang Meng

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The four international shipping routes that connect Asia and Europe, Asia and North America, Europe and North America, and intra-Asia have evolved to meet the growing demand for globalization. This study aims to evaluate the network evolution of these four international shipping routes and provide unique characteristics and valuable insights in their network evolution. The network structure and major shipping lines are detected for each route and period using the complex network analysis techniques. The results reveal the geographical and economic characteristics of major shipping routes and contribute three significant insights. First, the expansion of trade with globalization and the global supply chain have facilitated the expansion of intracontinental shipping routes within Asia rather than intercontinental shipping routes. Second, ports maintaining their superiority, such as the geographical advantages of Singapore in Asia–Europe and Busan in Asia–North America, have been the centers of shipping services with greater accessibility to other ports in each period. Finally, shipping lines increase the size of vessels deployed on each shipping route. Dominant shipping lines have maintained and increased their market share for each shipping route through mergers and acquisitions.

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主要航线网络演化：来自优势港口和航运公司的视角

连接亚洲和欧洲、亚洲和北美、欧洲和北美以及亚洲内部的四条国际航线不断发展，以满足日益增长的全球化需求。本研究旨在评估这四条国际航线的网络演化，并提供其网络演化的独特特征和有价值的见解。利用复杂网络分析技术，对各航线、各时期的网络结构和主要航线进行检测。研究结果揭示了主要航线的地理和经济特征，并提供了三个重要见解。首先，贸易全球化和全球供应链的扩张促进了亚洲大陆内航线的扩张，而不是洲际航线。其次，保持优势的港口，如亚洲-欧洲的新加坡和亚洲-北美的釜山的地理优势，在每个时期都是航运服务的中心，与其他港口的可达性更大。最后，航运公司增加了在每条航线上部署的船只的规模。占主导地位的航运公司通过兼并和收购保持并增加了每条航线的市场份额。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Transport Geography Multiple-

CiteScore

11.50

自引率

11.50%

发文量

197

期刊介绍： A major resurgence has occurred in transport geography in the wake of political and policy changes, huge transport infrastructure projects and responses to urban traffic congestion. The Journal of Transport Geography provides a central focus for developments in this rapidly expanding sub-discipline.