Container Shipping

This report analyzes the systemic vulnerabilities affecting Bangladesh's maritime supply chain operations at Chattogram Port, applying Christopher Martin's five-dimensional risk framework. The study identifies critical challenges across supply, demand, process, control, and environmental risk dimensions, based on primary survey data from shipping companies and terminal operators, supplemented by Chattogram Port Authority statistics and industry reports. Strategic recommendations are developed for infrastructure modernization, digital transformation, and governance reform to enhance Chattogram Port's regional competitiveness.

The global trade finance landscape, particularly the processing of Letters of Credit (LCs), faces unprecedented pressure from increasingly complex international sanctions regimes. Traditional rule-based systems for screening transactions often suffer from high false-positive rates and a lack of transparency, leading to "de-risking" and operational bottlenecks. This article proposes a novel Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) framework centered on counterfactual explanations (CFEs) to enhance regulatory compliance in real-time. Unlike traditional "black-box" models or feature-importance methods (e.g., SHAP or LIME), counterfactual explanations provide actionable insights by identifying the minimal changes required in a transaction's data to alter a "high-risk" classification to "compliant." By applying this framework to the monitoring of Letters of Credit, financial institutions can move beyond simple detection toward a deeper understanding of sanctions evasion and trade-based money laundering (TBML) tactics. The study utilizes synthetic datasets to simulate complex trade scenarios, demonstrating how CFEs facilitate better human-in-the-loop decision-making. The findings suggest that the integration of counterfactual logic not only satisfies the "right to explanation" mandated by evolving regulations but also significantly improves the precision of real-time monitoring systems, thereby safeguarding the integrity of the US and international financial systems.

The rapid digitalization of the global financial system has facilitated the proliferation of sophisticated sanctions evasion schemes, primarily through the misuse of shell companies within US correspondent banking networks. While Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) have emerged as a potent tool for capturing the complex, relational dependencies inherent in financial transactions, their "black-box" nature presents a significant barrier to regulatory adoption and forensic utility. This article proposes a novel framework that integrates two prominent Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) methods-Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) and Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations (LIME)-into GNN architectures specifically designed for detecting sanctions evasion. By leveraging synthetic datasets that mirror the multi-layered layering and obfuscation tactics used by illicit actors, this study demonstrates how SHAP and LIME can provide both global and local interpretability. Our findings suggest that while GNNs excel at identifying suspicious subgraphs, the integration of SHAP identifies the most influential structural features (e.g., node centrality and transaction frequency), while LIME offers transaction-level justifications essential for Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) compliance. This dual-explanation approach not only enhances the precision of sanctions screening but also aligns AI-driven oversight with the transparency requirements of the US Department of the Treasury.

Trade-based money laundering (TBML) represents a critical and growing threat to the integrity of the United States financial system, exploiting the immense volume of international commerce to disguise illicit value transfers. As global trade reached a staggering $24 trillion by 2025, the complexity of identifying fraudulent transactions within maritime container networks necessitated a shift from traditional rule-based systems to advanced artificial intelligence. However, the adoption of machine learning in regulated environments has been hindered by the "black-box" nature of high-performance models. This research investigates the application of Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) frameworks-specifically SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) and Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations (LIME)-in detecting TBML patterns within U.S. import-export data streams from 2018 to 2025. By integrating cross-sectoral data from the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), vessel tracking systems, and trade finance reports, this study develops a transparent predictive analytics framework. Findings indicate that ensemble learning models like XGBoost achieve over 92% predictive accuracy, while XAI integration reduces false positive rates by up to 40% and provides the interpretability required by Department of Justice (DOJ) enforcement standards. The study highlights the 2025 emergence of sophisticated "too perfect" document forgeries and the significant concentration of dollar value in TBML schemes related to electronics and fentanyl precursors.

Bu üç bölümlük teknik seri, küresel konteyner nakliyesiyle ilişkili operasyonel güvenlik sorununu ve bu soruna bir çözüm olarak sunulan Yüksek Güvenlikli Konteyner Takip (HSCT) sistemini belgelemektedir. Bölüm 1, herhangi bir deniz konteyneri güvenlik çözümünün karşı karşıya kalacağı pazar ölçeğini, güvenlik zorluğunu ve operasyonel kısıtlamaları ortaya koymaktadır. Konteynerli Deniz Ticaretinin Ölçeği Küresel deniz konteyneri ticareti, yıllık yaklaşık 800 milyon TEU (Yirmi Fitlik Eşdeğer Birim) taşımaktadır. Kaynak materyaller, bu trafiğin en az %20'sinin "yüksek riskli" olarak sınıflandırıldığını, bu da her yıl güvenlik ve izleme için 160 milyon yüksek riskli konteyner sevkiyatı gerektirdiğini belirtmektedir. Bir güvenlik mühendisliği perspektifinden, bu rakamlar, küçük hata oranlarının bile büyük operasyonel sonuçlara yol açabileceği bir sistemi tanımlamaktadır.

While trade and transportation of oil, gas, and chemicals are growing worldwide as the source of various applications, the inspections onboard vessels that carry these goods are made as per the international and concerned bodies' requirements, to play an important role in enhancing safety and minimizing the risk of marine pollution. However, researches have indicated that inspection items are repeated, duplicated, and overlapping among inspection regimes, which are observed in each period onboard tankers, thus creating a negative impact on vessel safety, unnecessarily consuming shipboard staff resources, and having adverse economic effects. In this study, current inspections performed onboard tankers have been presented, including duration, inspection areas, responsible entities, and purposes. In addition to the vetting inspections, which are performed on all types of tankers by Oil Majors, creating a strong commercial incentive for the vessel owner to comply with the inspection requirements, since the outcome of these inspections will determine if the tanker gets cargo or not, as well as how it is impacting negatively the company name, reputation, and onboard staff condition.
Through this study, tanker business lecturer’s reviews, opinions, considerations, conclusions, and suggestions were presented, as all tankers surveys, inspections, and audits regimes parameters have shown that it is possible to be reduced without compromising safety and environmental protection by introducing a unified, combined and/or merged inspection method and matrix, to avoid the negative impact of redundancy in various inspection types onboard tankers.
The researcher carried out a questionnaire and survey with different employees and ranks onboard tankers belonging to various high-level oil, gas, and chemical shipping companies, to determine how inspections duplication is impacting ship staff onboard the vessel. As the questionnaire results showed a significant negative impact. Therefore, suggestions and recommendations in combination and unified maximum inspection regimes possible while satisfying concerned entities and bodies are needed and required, which could improve tanker safety and pollution prevention while deducting costs, reducing shipboard human resources, and saving time and money.

The purpose of this research is to determine the reasoning behind the human factor, the lack of declaration of dangerous goods, the lack of a sophisticated fire detection system, the primary causes of fire outbreaks on high-tier stowed containers on Ultra Large container vessels (ULCVs), and potential answers: fire prevention and fire mitigation. The researcher employed descriptiveanalytical techniques and developed a survey distributed to seafarers. 156 responses qualified. They were processed using SPSS v26. The researcher brought to light the most impactful of which were human factors, fire detecting infrastructure, and lack of declared dangerous cargo. It is recommended in this research that more sophisticated fire prevention systems should be in place, more stringent regulations on fire-hazardous cargo should be implemented, and that fire risk mitigation training should be implemented on the part of the crew. This research is disseminated to ship operators, the fire safety practices regulatory and stakeholders in the maritime transport sector to enhance fire safety practices and protect life, cargo, and the marine environment.

Global trade cannot endure without container shipping and port infrastructure, but they are so interdependent that the system is extremely sensitive to disruptions. The recent crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate risks, geopolitical crises, technological risks, and labor crises, have revealed immense vulnerability in the maritime logistics system. Such disruptions not only limit themselves to delays in operations but also spread to other parts of the world, where they lead to cascading consequences on global trade, inflationary pressures, and supply chain instability. Resilience has, in this respect, become a crucial concept in maintaining container shipping and port systems in unfavorable circumstances. Resilience is not about how well one can absorb the shock, but also how one can adapt, recover, and change according to changing risks. This paper discusses the robustness of container shipping and port infrastructure based on the thematic analysis of significant disruptions, critical vulnerabilities, and response mechanisms. It focuses on four aspects of resilience, namely strong, flexible, adaptable, and recovery. Basing its argument on the observations of the new scholarship, the article divides disruptions into the following categories: health-related, environmental, geopolitical, technological, and socioeconomic , and assesses their potential impact on maritime transport and the global supply chains. The port vulnerabilities (chokepoints, congestion, fragility of infrastructure, reliance on justin-time, etc.) are evaluated with resilience measures (i.e., technological innovation (blockchain, artificial intelligence, digitalization), infrastructure investment, policy and governance change, labor management, and redesign of the supply chain). Examples of major world ports show best practice and lessons learnt used in developing insights into the ways resilience may be institutionalized throughout the sector. In the future, the combination of sustainability, ESG concepts, and predictive analytics will be revealed as key to resilience planning. Combining up-to-date facts, the research would add value to both scholarly discussions and policy-making in a structured format of improving the stability and flexibility of container transportation and ports amidst continuous global uncertainties.

Shipping Container Imbalance causes a substantial additional cost to carriers. However there is no commonly accepted standard system in the industry to minimize the idle time of empty containers at storage resulting substantial cost and breakdown of container supply chain. Container imbalance represents a substantial cost amounting to twenty two percent in the overall cost structure of containers. The only mechanism that carriers practice is the repositioning of empty container from the idle location to other locations where they are in demand in most effective and efficient method. Therefore, majority of literature pertaining to container management relate to empty container re-positioning. The maximum ‘utilisation’ can be achieved if containers are on consistent move with freighted cargo. However, containers remain for about half the time of their lifetime being idle as they are either being maintained, repaired or in storage. Therefore, core issue prevails in the industry is to find the best method to optimize the utilization of containers. This paper introduces a novel concept namely, Virtual Container Pool (VCP) that propose carriers to exchange containers between carriers. It is expected that it would be one of the key contributors to the container utilization maximization strategies.

The efficient movement of goods is crucial to the economic growth of communities. This makes the existence of seaports essential for the marine transportation system. Due to their natural location, ports are continuously threatened by natural hazards such as wind action, which necessitates a continuous monitoring and assessment for their performance. The work presented here aims at assessing the resilience of ports against natural disasters. This is done by identifying the performance and the recovery rate of such in- frastructure during the period following the event. The research commenced with gathering information about the port’s main components that are influenced by natural hazards. The collected data has been compiled in the form of indicators, which have been filtered and grouped under four dimensions in the proposed “PORT framework”. Each of the indicator has been allocated a measure to enable its quantitative evaluation. The ag- gregation of the indicators’ values allows identifying the port resilience.

This study investigates the impacts of automation and virtual reality applications in crane systems on industrial processes. Innovative approaches in crane technologies—such as energy recovery systems, autonomous control, digital twin technology, and virtual/mixed reality (VR/MR)-based crane operator training systems—are comprehensively examined. These technologies enhance energy efficiency, reduce the carbon footprint, improve operational safety, and extend the service life of crane systems.
University–industry collaboration models play a critical role in the rapid and effective development of these innovations. By analyzing the integration of crane systems into green transformation and digitalization strategies, this study highlights the contributions of these technologies in terms of safety, operational efficiency, and sustainability. Findings reported in the literature, together with data obtained from industrial-scale field applications, indicate that these technologies possess a paradigmatic transformation potential for production processes.

The Black Sea is an inland sea between south-eastern Europe and Asia Minor. It is connected to the Oceans by way of the Mediterranean Sea via the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, the Dardanelles, the Aegean Sea, the Gibraltar Strait and the Suez Canal. The Black Sea served as a transport node for many centuries. The Silk Road is one of the World’s oldest and historically most important trade routes and is the longest land bridge of the time between Asia and Europe for more than 1000 years. It lost its importance in times when the security of transit no longer existed. Most of the east-west trade hence shifted to shipping transport through the Suez Canal and Malacca Straits. With the collapse of the USSR in 1991 revitalisation of the Silk Road was taken up and gained momentum. TRACECA (TRAnsport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia) is such a project to connect Europe to Central Asia. It is planned a continuous railway to run from the Yellow Sea to Western Europe via the Black Sea. Black Sea i...

This dissertation examines cruise shipping from the maritime perspective, the trends and developments witnessed in the sector, the industry dynamics, the distinctive features of major cruise destinations and markets, the principal cruise lines and the emerging issues of key concern to the cruise industry. Based on this, an assessment of their likely implications and policy imperatives for Indian ports has been made. Irrespective of the type and class of vessel and the cargo that it carries onboard, a port has to remain in a constant state of readiness and preparedness to make available adequate facilities to the vessels by providing appropriate infrastructure support and services. Every technical innovation taking place in the shipping industry has a direct bearing on the standing of ports and although static, the ports have to show dynamism in proactively attuning with the demands that these innovations bring about. The economic considerations coupled with the geo-political and geo-strategic factors are the key factors that determine the emergence of new markets and shipping routes to serve them -a maxim which holds true for cruise shipping also. Only the ports that can provide efficient and cost effective services to the shipping industry remain in business. Obviously, these developments have pecuniary implications on the ports in terms of capital investment in creating adequate infrastructure and superstructures to serve the needs of the trade and unless backed by proper cost benefit analysis and potential assessment, it would have catastrophic results. What should, therefore, be the approach of the Indian ports to address the challenges that developments in the cruise shipping industry impose upon the ports and the proactive measures that need to be taken to benefit from these developments, is the core aim of this study.

Transportul internațional multimodal este forma de transport care percepe mobilitatea mărfurilor dintr-un punct A în punctul B sub același contract folosind două sau mai multe modalități de transport. El reprezintă un fenomen modern ce poate fi asociat globalizării petrecute imediat după cel de-al Doilea Război Mondial, însă s-a consolidat pe contextul creat de două milenii de progres tehnic și economic. În această lucrare ne propunem să expunem o perspectivă istorică a transportului internațional multimodal de la primele evidențe ale unui transport intermodal (diferit de cel multimodal) care percepea transportul mărfurilor dintr-o locație în alta folosind atât mijloace de transport, cât și contracte diferite până în prezent când avansul tehnologic a permis transportarea mult mai eficientă și rapidă. Mulțumită infrastructurii, optimizarea operațiunilor de logistică a mărfurilor, dar și standardizării mărfurile pot fi transportate în contemporaneitate sub același contract, riscurile asociate fiind scăzute – nașterea transportului internațional multimodal.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, sanctions on its hydrocarbon
exports have been central to Western efforts to limit the Kremlin’s war-fighting
capacity. The European Union’s (EU) embargo on seaborne oil, combined with the EU,
G7 and Australia price cap mechanism, represents the most far-reaching measures
ever taken against a major energy exporter. Yet Russian oil still reaches world markets
in large volumes. How is this possible, and what does it reveal about the effectiveness
of sanctions?
At the centre of this paradox stands Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’: a collection of ageing
tankers, opaque ownership chains and covert maritime practices designed to evade
restrictions and move oil outside international oversight. Far from marginal, it has
become a critical lifeline for Moscow’s wartime economy. Understanding its size,
organisation and operations is essential to assess both the strengths and limits of
sanction schemes.
This Focus Paper asks key questions. What exactly does ‘shadow fleet’ mean and how
extensive has it become since 2022? Which Russian authorities and state-owned firms
coordinate its activities and how is control exercised? How significant are the revenues
generated and how do they compare with defence spending?
The analysis also examines the wider context. Which third countries enable or
tolerate the fleet, and why? How can international law be used to restrict unsafe or
non‑compliant vessels? What tools do Western states actually employ to enforce
sanctions – whether at sea, through financial regulation or via diplomacy?
By addressing these questions, this Focus Paper seeks to clarify the scale of shadow
fleet operations and explore how enforcement can deprive Moscow of oil revenues
that continue to sustain its war in Ukraine and expand its military industry.

Shipping Containers (SC) are a viable option as temporary or permanent housing for disaster victims due to their modularity, strength, and availability in large quantities around the world. While SCs as alternative housing has been extensively explored, few studies have focused on the structural and thermal performance of SCs in a tropical monsoon climate. This paper aims to contribute to a better knowledge of SC building construction by (1) investigating the SCs structural performance when subjected to a variety of loads, including gravity, earthquake, and very strong typhoon, and (2) assessing the thermal performance in a hot and humid climate. The case of Leyte, Philippines, a hot, humid, and typhoon-frequented region, is considered in this study. To meet the objectives, two SCs were combined to build a singlefamily house. First, the structural strength of the SCs, including the effect of cuts and openings, were investigated using finite element analysis. Second, the thermal condition of the SC was compared using four models with different insulation materials: no insulation, PE foam insulation (R-12), slightly higher insulation (R-13 fiberglass batt), and very high insulation (R-49 fiberglass batt) through building energy simulation. The paper concludes that SCs have inherently high strength and can withstand strong wind and earthquake. Stresses due to cuts and openings were minimized when the cuts/openings were placed far from the corner posts. On the other hand, increasing insulation R-value did not improve the indoor thermal condition of the SCs. More work needs to be done on making SCs thermally comfortable in hot and humid climates.

The port of Antwerp executes its container lashing with specialized dockworker crews called container lashers. These container lashers train in the port training center, OCHA, in order to execute container lashing safely and efficiently. Container lashing is considered labor intensive. Due to the future trends within maritime transportation, the interest in optimized ergonomic training provided for dockworkers rises. A User-Centered Design approach is implemented to gather insights to build a Product-service-system (PSS) solution in a multidisciplinary research context. In order to develop a meaningful PSS, clinical and cultural insights are required. This paper presents the research framework of Design Inclusive Research (DIR) to collect cultural insights from container lashers. Subsequentially, it elaborates on the different stages of DIR to the extent of defining and executing the design tools. For this study, Cultural Probes and user journey maps, in combination with in-depth in...

Transportul internațional containerizat reprezintă o fațetă importantă a domeniului navigației maritime, o parte importantă din mărfurile tranzacționate la nivel global fiind transportate prin intermediul containerelor. Cu consultarea Lect. univ. dr. Dumitru Corduneanu am decis să tratez acest subiect întrucât am avut o interacțiune directă cu acest sector de-a lungul celor șase luni de cadeție desfășurate pe nava portcontainer Maersk Cairo. Am decis să îmi axez lucrarea pe analiza transportului internațional containerizat în contextul provocărilor aduse de secolul XXI întrucât mi s-a părut un subiect de actualitate, cu care m-am confruntat în propria mea experiență pe mare: spre finalul perioadei mele la bord, Maersk și-a restructurat rutele în contextul conflictului din Yemen care se încinse din nou în prima parte a anului 2024 ca urmare a unei noi serii de atacuri ale rebelilor houthi asupra unor nave comerciale din Golful Aden și Marea Roșie.
Nava pe care mă aflam la acel moment săvârșea voiaje între Statele Unite ale Americii și mai multe state din Orientul Extrem (R.P. China, Vietnam, Japonia) și, deși ruta pe care se afla nu a fost afectată direct de către conflictul militar amintit, aceasta a suferit o modificare majoră datorită nevoii de a prelua volumul de mărfuri din Orientul Mijlociu care acum rămăsese blocat de situația geopolitică în desfășurare. Maersk Cairo, care din prisma capacității sale de 4 496 TEU poate fi înscrisă în categoria navelor medii și feedermax, a avut parte de o reconfigurare completă a seriei de porturi parcurse de 2 ori, una dintre acestea având loc chiar imediat după plecarea mea. Astfel, dacă așa cum am amintit nava la începutul voiajului meu (început în octombrie 2023) efectua curse regulate între Asia și America de Nord, spre finalul acestuia, mai exact începând cu finalul lunii ianuarie și până în aprilie 2024 Maersk Cairo a efectuat voiaje între Emiratele Arabe Unite (Jebel Ali), Sri Lanka (Colombo), Malaiezia (Tanjung Palepas, Port Klang), Singapore și mai multe porturi din China. Ulterior, imediat după plecarea mea ruta s-a schimbat din nou și rămâne la fel până în prezent, mai exact între Emiratele Arabe (Jebel Ali), Oman (Salalah), Kenia (Mombasa) și India (portul Jawaharlal Nehru, Mundra).
Lucrarea de față este structurată în mai multe capitole care analizează aspecte separate pe care le-am considerat de interes privind tema transportului containerizat internațional în secolul XXI. Acestea se bazează pe analizarea literaturii academice, rapoartelor oficiale eliberate de instituții precum IMO, dar și pe articole din presa internațională care sunt relevante și prezintă detalii privind evenimentele discutate de-a lungul lucrării. Tonul elaborării lucrării se menține unul serios, în cadrul normelor academice necesare în redactarea unei lucrări de licență, încercând de asemenea să prezinte aspectele discutate într-o manieră cât mai explicită și coerentă.
Primul capitol prezintă o scurtă istorie a transportului internațional din epoca bronzului și până în prezent. De-a lungul său accentul se pune asupra evoluției comerțului mondial și globalizării acestuia și efectele pe care aceste efecte complexe le-a avut asupra transportului maritim în special, atât la nivel tehnologic, cât și logistic, uman și economic. Dacă în antichitate și până în evul mediu viziunea europeană era redusă la spațiul imediat apropiat, începând cu descoperirea Americii de către Cristofor Columb la 12 octombrie 1492 și a marilor expediții geografice ce au urmat orizontul s-a extins la un plan global. În prezent trăim într-o lume globalizată și interconectată, cu toate avantajele, dar și provocările pe care această situație de fapt o aduc. Globalizarea care istoric vorbind a început cu colonialismul și cu extinderea modelului economic european peste tot în lume a reprezentat un proces care, alături de industrializare, a adus beneficii evidente în viața de zi cu zi a oamenilor. În prezent, marea parte a omenirii este acomodată unui stil de viață comod care stă în mare parte pe spatele garanției oferite de rețelele logistice globale moderne de a livra mărfuri într-un timp scurt, eficient și sigur.
Al doilea capitol prezintă containerizarea ca și fenomen istoric și revoluție în domeniul transporturilor. Această parte a lucrării face trecerea către partea mai de specialitate a licenței oferind argumente privind cadrul economic și istoric în care s-a produs inventarea containerului ca și mijloc de transport și avantajele pe care această inovație a avut-o asupra domeniului. Pe scurt, containerizarea a reprezentat o transformare predictibilă în sectorul transporturilor care a avut loc în contextul creat de sfârșitul celui de-al Doilea Război Mondial: prosperitate economică generală, volume istorice de mărfuri transportate din Statele Unite ale Americii către restul lumii și nu în ultimul rând o apetență generală pentru găsirea de soluții într-un context în care vechea infrastructură și practicile consacrate ale vremii nu mai făceau față noilor realități de pe teren.
Al treilea capitol prezintă provocările pe care globalizarea le aduce privind transportul internațional containerizat. Atât supra-extinderea lanțurilor de aprovizionare care traversează continentele și oceanele lumii, dar și presiunile pe care riscuri globale precum terorismul, conflictele militare și alți factori sociali sau geopolitici le pot exercita asupra lor, reprezintă nucleul discuției din această parte a lucrării. Tot aici am decis să includ, spre finalul capitolului, două subcapitole care analizează efectele pe care încălzirea globală și, respectiv, dezvoltarea inteligenței artificiale le pot avea asupra industriei transporturilor. Cu toate că poate părea că cele două tematici sunt separate, amândouă sunt creații ale economiei moderne globalizate care pe de o parte a crescut în ultimele două secole nevoia de combustibili poluanți care au dus la creșterea sesizabilă a temperaturilor la nivel mondial, iar pe cealaltă parte, mai recent, a dus la o nouă revoluție industrială bazată pe avansul tehnologic în special în domeniul digital.
Al patrulea capitol este dedicat impactului pe care criza sanitară cauzată de pandemia globală de COVID-19 a avut-o asupra transporturilor internaționale containerizate. Cu precădere un subcapitol dedicat  crizei containerelor prezintă un interes deosebit întrucât descrie în amănunt aspectele unui eveniment istoric deosebit care s-a produs ca urmare a particularității rețelelor logistice contemporane – mai multe containere goale au rămas blocate în porturile europene și nord-americane, în timp ce, în același timp, marfă produsă în principiu în fabricile din China a rămas în porturile din Asia în așteptarea disponibilității de containere ca să poată fi livrată către restul lumii.
Capitolul al cincilea este dedicat analizei momentului unipolar și probabila trecere către o lume multipolară. Acesta analizează particularitățile geopolitice și economice rezultate ca urmare a căderii Cortinei de Fier și a Uniunii Sovietice în 1989, respectiv 1991. Un accent deosebit se pune pe studierea duelului sino-american, un fenomen istoric care se traduce printr-o competiție tehnologică, comercială și militară acerbă între cele mai mari două economii ale momentului, Statele Unite ale Americii care reprezintă liderul democrațiilor liberale și centrul sistemului global creat de acordurile internaționale de la finalul celui de-al Doilea Război Mondial (precum Bretton Woods) și Republica Populară China care este pretendentul principal la preluarea titlului de hegemon global din mâna americanilor, contestând din ce în ce mai intens autoritatea și legitimitatea acestora atât prin proiecte ambițioase, cât și prin crearea unui sistem paralel de organizații mondiale care au ca și scop rivalizarea cu vocile consacrate precum ONU, FMI și Banca Mondială.
Capitolul al șaselea este o analiză în detaliu a efectelor pe care conflictul ruso-ucrainean izbucnit în urmă cu doar 3 ani, în 2022, le-a avut asupra sectorului transporturilor, atât la un nivel regional, cât și mondial. O cronologie a evenimentelor pusă la punct încă de la începutul capitolului are rolul de a pune cititorul în temă cu ansamblul larg al discuției, după care se face trecerea la un studiu în detaliu asupra principalelor puncte legate de această temă. Acest capitol cuprinde și o parte de prognoză asupra posibilelor scenarii care pot evolua între Ucraina și Federația Rusă în viitorul apropiat, dar și aspectele pe care fiecare în parte le-ar avea asupra subiectului discuției și anume transporturile internaționale, cu precădere cele maritime.
Nu în ultimul rând, al șaptelea capitol este un studiu de caz pe baza unui conosament și reprezintă partea practică a lucrării de față. Contractul de conosament discutat este un transport de articole vestimentare intermediat de casa de expediții Schenker și care este transportat din portul Constanța către cel din New York prin trei containere.
Pe parcursul acestei lucrări îmi propun să ofer o perspectivă mai profundă asupra subiectului transportului internațional containerizat și să analizez modul în care acesta reacționează și evoluează în mediul complex și globalizat din ziua de astăzi. Consider că punctul de vedere luat de-a lungul următoarelor pagini este unul obiectiv, cât se poate de deschis și pertinent și că analizele și cercetările efectuate aduc un element de plus valoare evident pentru discuția privind acest domeniu fundamental.
ing. Vlad-Mihai O. Chelu

No presente artigo, é realizada uma breve análise histórica da responsabilidade civil e mais especificamente do contrato de transporte marítimo, abordando principalmente os fundamentos, assim como as controvérsias na doutrina ligadas às causas de exclusão de responsabilidade dele (caso fortuito, vício de origem e culpa exclusiva da vítima). O que se pretendeu foi refletir sobre uma eventual responsabilidade integral do transportador, em razão do surgimento de novas tecnologias que acabam por mitigar o caráter da imprevisibilidade que caracterizaria o caso fortuito. Para tanto, foi utilizado o método dedutivo e dialético, pela coleta de espólio bibliográfico, e posterior reflexão crítica sobre as obras; histórico, pela análise da evolução histórica da matéria; e comparativo, pela comparação de leis, jurisprudência, tratados e doutrina estrangeiras. Os resultados demonstram que a legislação do transportador marítimo deve vir em prol do desenvolvimento e seguir a tendência moderna. No entanto, responsabilizar em demasia o transportador marítimo pode ocasionar grande perda econômica e por isso a discussão deve estar em consonância com o equilíbrio econômico e proteção tanto entre relações B2B quanto B2C.

This paper proposes a procedure for analysing tourism productivity. The procedure is based on the Luenberger productivity indicator for estimating and decomposing productivity change into efficiency change and technological change. The authors expand the procedure and further decompose the process of technological change to study the sources of bias within it. Therefore, a clearer and more enlightening view emerges of the productivity of travel agencies. The Portuguese travel agency sector is used as an application. Some managerial implications are developed.

This paper proposes a framework for benchmarking French and Italian seaports and the rationalisation of their operational activities. The analysis is based on the Luenberger productivity indicator. The main benefit of our method is to allow for both input contraction and output expansion, in determining relative efficiencies and productivity changes. Benchmarks are provided for improving the operations of those seaports, which perform worse than others. Several interesting and useful managerial insights and implications arise from the study. Following this approach, the benchmarking of multi-country seaports gives a different picture than the one which is obtained from a single country.

This research paper presents an in-depth exploration of container vessel accidents and preventive measures through semi-structured interviews with industry professionals and subject matter experts. Building on a previous study, utilizing the NASAFACS methodology to analyze container vessel accidents, this paper aims to deepen understanding of the underlying challenges and emerging trends in container vessel safety. The interviews focused on key aspects, such as industry insights, causal factors, environmental risks, crew competency, the regulatory landscape, collaboration with authorities, industry partnership, and crisis management. Participants shared valuable perspectives on major challenges affecting container vessels and the wider industry. Interview data were analyzed using MAXQDA Software, allowing a comprehensive thematic analysis. The findings inform recommendations to improve safety, including the development of comprehensive standards for emerging risks. Specific suggestions include the upgrade of firefighting systems for ultra-large container ships, stricter enforcement of cargo declaration and lashing practices, mandatory IMDG training for shippers and freight forwarders, higher manning levels, and structured inspection regimes akin to those in the tanker industry. While the NASAFACS analysis of accident reports identified preconditions as primary contributory factors, the interview findings highlight systemic organizational issues and external influences. This research contributes to the ongoing maritime safety discourse by integrating expert insights with NASAFACS analysis, offering a holistic perspective on container vessel accidents and proactive measures for their prevention.

Container vessel accidents risk maritime safety and the environment, and understanding their causes and consequences is vital to developing effective preventive measures. This study analyzes the distribution of latent factors and active events related to container vessel
accidents by applying the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) derived NASAFACS framework. The study employs a varied dataset comprising different types of container vessel accidents that occurred worldwide from 2010 to 2021. Findings suggest that latent factors, i.e., 'Preconditions,' are the predominant causative agents behind
container vessel accidents, followed by 'Acts,' which involve active events leading to them. Damage to vessels is usually the most common outcome, and container loss and environmental pollution are sizeable. Collision incidents frequently involve both latent factors and active errors, while fire incidents typically are solely driven by latent ones; other accident types, including heavy weather damage, grounding, and allision incidents,
show evidence of both latent and active factors; heavy weather damage incidents tend to exhibit higher incidences of environmental pollution than other accident types. This research offers unique insight into container vessel accidents, underlining the need for enhanced securing practices, accurate cargo declaration, and stricter cargo stowage compliance to improve safety and reduce pollution.

Sinistralidade na pesca local na região do grande Porto iii RESUMO A pesca local, também apelidada de artesanal é o meio de sobrevivência de milhares de trabalhadores portugueses e de grande parte das suas famílias que dela dependem exclusivamente. É considerada a atividade mais arriscada do mundo atendendo às condições de trabalho em que é prestada, e aos riscos elevados a que diariamente todos os marítimos se encontram expostos. Este estudo pretende dar a conhecer as principais causas que contribuíram para a ocorrência de acidentes de trabalho não mortais no setor da pesca artesanal da costa portuguesa, com incidência nos marítimos inscritos na Capitania do Porto de Leixões. Com vista à recolha dos dados, foram preenchidos questionários através das respostas obtidas junto dos marítimos, os quais foram posteriormente sistematizados e analisados. Foram também analisados estudos nacionais e internacionais referentes às pescas. Os resultados conseguidos revelam que a maioria dos acidentes ocorreu quando eram desenvolvidas atividades de pesca, com maior incidência nas tarefas de recolha de pescado e quando estavam envolvidos aparelhos de levantamento (Guinchos e Aladores). Foram estes últimos os que mais danos pessoais provocaram. As condições climatéricas, a pressão do tempo e a organização do trabalho, foram apontadas pelos marítimos, como as causas da ocorrência dos acidentes. Apesar dos acidentes terem provocado danos em todas as partes do corpo, os de maior índice de gravidade advieram dos danos provocados quando a cabeça foi atingida. As quedas ao mar revelam uma taxa de incidência elevada, e aparentam ser uma predestinação dos marítimos. Concluiu-se que a pesca é um setor de atividade com pouca atratividade para os trabalhadores. Se não forem adotadas medidas que invertam a tendência de abandono da atividade e a falta ingresso de novos trabalhadores, a breve trecho, o setor corre o risco de quase desaparecer. Os riscos a que os marítimos se encontram expostos quando desenvolvem as suas atividades no mar são elevados e a sua segurança apresenta grande debilidade. Daí ser fundamental uma organização e coordenação de todos os trabalhos desenvolvidos nas embarcações, com especial incidência, nas zonas de maior ocorrência de acidentes. Os marítimos aceitam a exposição a riscos elevados que ultrapassam o desejável, saindo para o mar com condições climatéricas adversas em embarcações débeis. Esta exposição deve-se à necessidade de obtenção de rendimento, por inexistência de uma remuneração fixa, à fixação de cotas de pesca, às épocas de captura das diferentes espécies e, também, à cultura de risco existente no setor. A mitigação dos riscos para valores aceitáveis é indispensável para a redução da sinistralidade.

The sterile condition can only exist within barriers that protect it from the non-sterile general environment. An essential prerequisite to the maintenance of sterility is for the product or that part of the product which is required to be sterile to be isolated by containment within a material impermeable to microbial penetration. Containment systems must be specified in great detail with regard to the physical properties that may affect their resistance to microbiological penetration.

While integrity tests (both deterministic and probabilistic) are well described, what of the physical measures and associated controls during manufacturing?

Sandle, T. (2023) Containers, closures and measurements to support the assurance of sterility, European Journal of Parenteral and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 28 (4): https://www.ejpps.online/post/containers-closures-and-measurements-to-support-the-assurance-of-sterility

The modern business environment is undergoing rapid transformations, compelling service organizations to adopt effective knowledge management strategies to enhance operational efficiency and achieve sustainable competitive advantage. This study aims to explore and analyze the theoretical framework of knowledge management, its significance, objectives, and components, with a particular focus on its role in improving the performance of supply chain operations within service organizations. The study also reviews relevant Arabic and international previous research, highlighting both challenges and opportunities associated with the implementation of knowledge management practices in this context. The literature review indicates that knowledge management contributes to improving the efficiency of supply chain processes by enhancing knowledge collection, storage, distribution, and effective application, resulting in faster decision-making and reduced operational costs. The paper recommends supporting work environments with an integrated knowledge infrastructure to maximize the benefits of knowledge assets and enhance the competitiveness of service organizations, particularly in critical sectors such as seaports, with a special emphasis on Jeddah Islamic Port.

Artykuł opisuje drogę wiodącą do wynalezienia a potem szerokiego stosowania kontenerów. Opisano, jak inicjator owej zmiany w transporcie, Malcolm McLean, wpadł na pomysł, żeby pracowicie wnosić przewożone towary na przyczepy ciężarówek - przewozić te towary w stalowym pudle (kontenerze), który można ustawić na pokładzie statku, na podwoziu ciężarówki i także na wagonie kolejowym. Opisano, jak ta nowość została początkowo potraktowana nieufnie i jak potem szybko i szeroko rozwinął się transport kontenerowy.

The rapidly evolving global maritime industry demands heightened port efficiency to meet increasing freight volumes and cost reduction imperatives. This paper explores the transformative role of Container Terminal Operating Systems (CTOS) in optimizing port operations. It highlights how CTOS facilitates streamlined container movement, automated scheduling, and seamless multi-modal integration, significantly reducing vessel turnaround times and operational costs. Key factors influencing port efficiency—including yard layout, connectivity, and advanced machinery—are examined alongside the strategic advantages of CTOS in enhancing resource utilization, revenue optimization, and stakeholder collaboration. The paper also presents Envision’s iPortman CTOS as a future-proof solution, featuring modular architecture, comprehensive cargo handling capabilities, and advanced data analytics. Conclusively, adopting sophisticated CTOS platforms like iPortman is indispensable for ports aiming to sustain competitiveness, boost productivity, and drive revenue growth in the dynamic landscape of global logistics.

The paper proposes an integrated procedure for the estimation of containerised OD flows at international scale. The procedure combines two different systems of models: (1) a meso-aggregated system of models for estimation of OD flows by means of a specification-calibration-validation process and (2) a macro-aggregated system of models for estimation of OD flows by means of a re-calibration process. The procedure has been tested in order to estimate the values of containerised OD flows of a geographical area composed of countries facing the Mediterranean basin at year 2006. The integrated procedure could represent a valid support for market operators and analysts, who need estimates of demand variables in order to mitigate risks of over-or under-investment, and for researchers developing freight models, because it offers the possibility to combine the potentialities of specification-calibration-validation and re-calibration processes in freight demand modelling.

Özel hukuk sistemimizde sorumluluk iki ana başlıkta ele alınır. Bunlardan ilki borçlunun sorumluluğunun kaynağıdır. İkincisi ise, borçlu hukuken sorumlu olduğunda alacaklıya ne ile sorumlu olacağı durumudur. Borçlu, alacaklıya karşı hukuken sorumlu olduğunda kural olarak bütün malvarlığı ile sınırsız kişisel sorumluluğu gündeme gelir. Bu kuralın bir dizi başkaca istisnası düzenlenmiş olduğu gibi konumuzu oluşturan donatanın sorumluluğu da bu genel kuralın bir istisnası olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Bu çalışmamızda deniz ticaretinin başlıca aktörü olan donatanın sorumluluklarının kaynaklarını ortaya koyduktan sonra, donatanın sorumluluğunu deniz ticareti hukuku tekniği açısından sınırlayan ilgili kuralları sistematik olarak ele almayı amaçladık. Ayrıca, bu hükümlerin malik olmayan donatan olarak nitelendirilen gemi işletme müteahhidi için de uygulanacağının kabul edildiğini belirtelim.

In our private legal system, responsibility is addressed in two main headings. The
first is the source of the debtor’s responsibility. Second, is the case of when the
debtor is legally responsible, what he will be liable to the creditor. As a principle,
when the debtor is legally responsible for the creditor, unlimited personal liability with all his assets comes into question. As there are a number of other exceptions
to this principle, the responsibility of the equipment that constitute our position is
an exception to this general rule.
In this essay, it is aimed to systematically address the relevant rules limiting their
responsibility in terms of maritime law technique, after revealing the sources of
the responsibilities of the shipowner who is the main actor of maritime. It should
also be emphasized that these provisions are accepted as applying to the ship
operating contractor, who is qualified as non-owner.

The problem of determining the required ship investment for deployment is an ongoing problem faced by governments and ship operators. The nature of ship investment is capital-intensive and the return on investment is often take long time. This paper attempts to establish system dynamics modeling (SDM) to simulate and solve this problem in order to help ship operators make effective strategic decisions. A case study of coastal liner services between Incheon and Baengnyeong Island in South Korea was performed. Using scenario analysis, the possible ship sizes (small: 350 tons; large: 2,500 tons) and types (new or used) were considered by comparing potential revenue with costs. The results indicated that putting a used large-sized ship into operation would accommodate the increasing passenger and cargo volumes, and improve customer services.

The Northern Sea Route (NSR) has tremendous potential for ocean shipping between Europe and Asia due to the savings from shorter transit time and distance. However, the Arctic area is environmentally vulnerable and thus there is a tradeoff between NSR's impacts on environment vs. its economic benefits, especially when compared with the traditional route, such as through the Suez Canal Route (SCR). This study estimates the market shares of different transport modes and alternative shipping routes for the container transport market between Europe and Asia, and the resulting environmental costs. Our result suggests that NSR can be a viable option under the status quo. However, its environmental costs tend to be higher than SCR due to small ship size and low load factor in the present, thus the development of NSR would lead to worse environment outcomes. If these issues can be resolved, NSR can benefit from lower operational and environmental costs, which will lead to higher market share and social welfare. Otherwise, increased use of NSR may lead to higher total environment costs than the status quo.

The 5th edition of the Report on Greek #Ports provides an analysis of the Greek port system. In particular, it analyses, cargo throughput and passenger/cruise traffic evolution, trends in investments, and other critical financial indicators, per port and in aggregate. It also contains details of the institutional evolution and the most recent reforms. In addition, the three “In-Focus” sections provide a detailed analysis of (a) the connectivity of Greek container ports. (b) cargo throughput and passenger traffic in secondary Greek ports and (c) Greek marinas network and capacities.

This paper explores the influence of geopolitical events on global value chains, particularly focusing on the Visegrád 4 countries (Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) and Indonesia. The objective is to analyse how these semi-peripheral nations, which are more susceptible to geopolitical shocks, navigate their vulnerabilities and policy options. The methodology includes a comparative analysis of two case studies: the effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on commodity value chains and the implications of the rise of electromobility. Major findings reveal both similarities and differences in the economic structures and policy responses of the V4 countries and Indonesia, highlighting their approaches to decoupling and derisking. Despite facing similar problems in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the V4 countries pursued decoupling while Indonesia attempted to reverse the decoupling trends. Both regions attempt to benefit from the rise of electromobility by encouraging reshoring into their jurisdictions, although the tools they use vary due to differences in the underlying economic thought. In conclusion, the paper emphasises the importance of understanding how semi-peripheral countries can strategically leverage their positions in response to the intricate geopolitical and geoeconomic challenges that shape global value chains.

Container transportation is the most preferred maritime commercial freight distribution in entire world except liquefied product transportation by tankers and bulk carriers. Totally 95% volume of general cargo is transported by container ships in the world due to fast, cheap andsafe carrying potential of the goods transfer. Containerization has become recent phenomena in the field of maritime transportation and the quantity of goods transported by containers is increasing day by day as well as the total container number to use for the commercial activity. Due to very high mobility in the field of container transportation, port traffic estimation, availability of containers, storage, deposition and allocation of empty containers have become recent problems in maritime transportation area. In this study some major container ports of Turkey which are stand for 80 % of total container operations are analyzed toseek for empty container balance. After detailed statistical evaluation of na...