2012

Journal Article - Link (English) - 2012

In recent decades global and regional economic growth has significantly transformed the maritime transport sector, ports, and logistics. Increasingly larger ships are being used for container transport, which strategically impacts port planning and related activities. Historical data shows that large vessels on major trade routes are reaching South American coasts more quickly. This paper aims to predict when the largest current vessels (average 13,000 TEUs) will regularly arrive in South America. Using models with variables such as maritime trade, global economic activity, time spans for vessel appearance and coastal characteristics, it is estimated that these large vessels would likely reach South America regularly between 2016 and 2020. These findings underscore the importance of efficient medium-term port planning to maximize economic benefits for the region.