Hub ports : a case study of port of Singapore

Abstract

The concept of hub ports has been more developed since the second half of the last century due to the rapid increase in the international trade, the vessel getting every time bigger and the necessity of the carrier to reduce the port of calls and consequently, the costs. East Asia is the most blooming area among global hub ports. Most of the shipping lines select ports in the region in order to tranship the cargos to feeder vessels. Singapore has retained its post as the biggest hub port in the world and one busiest port in the world during the last years. This work aims to explore how the port achieved this position. Singapore has developed, since its independency in 1965, strategies to encourage shipping lines to use Singapore as transhipment hub, besides the initial factor of favourable location to the main shipping routes.