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- LENS 3: Future Patterns in Global Trade and Transportation
LENS 3: Future Patterns in Global Trade and Transportation
Gateway and corridor strategies must be forward-looking, addressing major trends in international transportation. Long-term planning is essential, but must be based on empirical evidence and analysis, not just optimism.
Future patterns are shaped by various factors, including new applications of transportation and information technologies, significant geopolitical dynamics, global strategies of ocean carriers and supply chain management strategies of major shippers.
Emerging patterns place new demands on existing transportation infrastructure. For example, the larger size of container ships is increasing demand for the few deep water ports that can service the world’s largest ships. These ports, in turn, must connect to distribution networks that can move the goods to their destinations reliably and quickly. These increasing volumes place additional pressures on land use.
Gaining the insights and information necessary to look beyond current realities and assess the impact of future patterns will require the cooperation of many partners in the public and private sectors.
Yansgshan Port, China The new Yangshan deep-water port development near Shanghai required the construction of the 31.3 km Donghai bridge. The 13 berths currently operational have an estimated annual capacity of 8.5 million containers (twenty-foot equivalent units). By 2020, the port will have 29 berths and an estimated capacity of 14 million containers.
Shaping Future Patterns
Planners and policy makers need to understand the evolving dynamics of shippers’ decisions. For example, Canadian Tire is sourcing a significant and increasing volume of finished good in Asia. While this means the company’s managers have a clear interest in the capacity and efficiency of the Port of Vancouver, they are also in the process of ramping up their containerized imports through the Port of Halifax.
The strategy is driven by the need to optimize balance — and therefore efficiency – in their supply chain. They strive for balance between shipments outbound from central Canada to their stores, and inbound from Asia.
This strategy of one major shipper alone is having an impact on the Port of Halifax and ancillary developments such as the major new trans-shipment facility built there by Consolidated Fastfrate.