Research on port hierarchies within a maritime region is crucial for comprehending the dynamics of seaborne trade and the broader trends within the maritime sector and related supply chains. This study investigates the evolution of the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) container ports and regional sub-systems from 2000 to 2022, analyzing traffic dynamics, shifts in port throughput rankings, and market concentration trends in and among the different coastal regions. Conceptually, this analysis benefits from the notion of evolutionary phases, revealing the stages of a port system's development. Methodologically, 49 LAC ports of international interest are categorized into different coastal regions and tiers based on throughput sizes. Various metrics, including the Gini coefficient, Lorenz curve, Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), and Kendall Tau (τ), assess port hierarchy and related mobility since 2000. The observed shifts in the hierarchy and market structures, coupled with the fluctuating positions of critical ports, underscore the transition that LAC container ports dynamics experienced in the 21st century. Following a particularly dynamic and volatile evolution observed in the 2000s, the financial crisis of 2008/09 was a critical juncture leading to the transition of the LAC port dynamics from the ‘emerging’ to the ‘maturity’ phase. On the contrary, the pandemic (2019) has not affected the pre-existing hierarchy or the moderate market concentration that was already in progress. The LAC region comprises port sub-systems (coastal ranges) subjected to different tendencies towards (de)concentration, yet mobility in port rankings within each sub-system decreases. The study also reveals the coexistence of this transition with a structural transformation of port governance structures, i.e., granting of concessions of operations to third parties. In 20 of these ports and the above-average mobility of ports are operated by Global Terminal Operators (GTOs), and calls for further research on the (non) causality of these phenomena.

中文翻译：

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拉丁美洲和加勒比地区集装箱港口的层次结构和流动性


对海洋区域内的港口层次结构的研究对于理解海运贸易的动态以及海运部门和相关供应链内的更广泛趋势至关重要。本研究调查了 2000 年至 2022 年拉丁美洲和加勒比地区 （LAC） 集装箱港口和区域子系统的演变，分析了不同沿海地区及其之间的交通动态、港口吞吐量排名的变化以及市场集中趋势。从概念上讲，这种分析受益于进化阶段的概念，揭示了港口系统的发展阶段。从方法上讲，49 个具有国际意义的拉丁美洲和加勒比地区港口根据吞吐量大小分为不同的沿海地区和等级。自 2000 年以来，各种指标，包括基尼系数、洛伦兹曲线、Herfindahl-Hirschman 指数 （HHI） 和 Kendall Tau （τ），评估港口层次结构和相关流动性。观察到的层次结构和市场结构的变化，以及关键港口位置的波动，突显了拉丁美洲和加勒比地区集装箱港口动态在 21 世纪经历的转变。继 2000 年代观察到的特别动态和动荡的演变之后，2008/09 年的金融危机是导致拉丁美洲和加勒比地区港口动态从“新兴”阶段过渡到“成熟”阶段的关键时刻。相反，大流行（2019 年）并没有影响先前存在的等级制度或已经进行的适度市场集中。拉丁美洲和加勒比地区由港口子系统（沿海地区）组成，这些子系统具有不同的集中（去）集中趋势，但每个子系统内港口排名的流动性有所下降。 该研究还揭示了这种转变与港口治理结构的结构转型并存，即向第三方授予运营特许权。其中 20 个港口的流动性高于平均水平，由全球码头运营商 （GTO） 运营，呼吁进一步研究这些现象的（非）因果关系。