Author(s)

F. Russo & G. Musolino

Abstract

The paper presents a procedure for an aggregate estimation of demand variables of the containerized maritime freight market. The procedure is specified in different steps and a preliminary application is executed to forecast the throughput and transhipment variables in the Mediterranean area, according to expectations before the crisis and then to the new phenomena occurring today in the container market. Keywords: containerized maritime freight, demand variables, Mediterranean area. 1 Introduction In the scientific and technical literature, if variables of freight demand have been identified and measured [1], few variables have been associated to containerized maritime freight demand. They may be grouped into three main classes: throughput, transhipment and origin-destination (OD) flow. The first two classes of variables may be further characterized according to whether containers are full or empty. The third variable may provide a useful characterization in terms of empty containers if the problem of empty container management needs to be highlighted. Throughput of a port derives from measurements of the number of containers handled by the (ship to shore) cranes per unit of time (e.g. TEUs/year); it is generally used for ex-post analysis. Throughput in the Mediterranean area is obtained as the sum of the throughput values in Mediterranean ports.

Keywords

containerized maritime freight, demand variables, Mediterranean area.