The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) estimates that more than 80% of the world freight is transported by sea. Freight is transferred from one mode of transport to another via a number of nodal points: sea and river ports and terminals. To ensure seamless transfer, ports and terminals need to operate in the most efficient way, i.e. as fast as possible at the least possible cost. It means that the flow of cargoes through ports should not be obstructed by operational, administrative and security procedures such as customs and inspections. It also implies that ports should have good connections to the hinterland. When surrounded by a city, they should minimize their negative impact on urban areas, while at the same time, cities should not obstruct the flow of cargoes.

FEATURED Impact of the Financial Crisis on Ports & Maritime Transport (PDF, 410KB) Until now, the impact of the financial crisis on ports and maritime transport has shown to be of a magnitude that hardly any expert had predicted. It has affected the entire sector: world maritime transport, freight and charter rates, new vessel orders, vessel deployment, container port throughput, empty containers, shipping lines, port labor, new port projects and concessions.

BY THE NUMBERS   RESULTS Liberia Project Transport component: Port of Monrovia The World Bank began its engagement in the Port Sector of Liberia in 2004, and today is involved in the following activities: As of 2004: Assessment of the port status and damage, followed by the prioritization of short, medium and longer term rehabilitation work to be executed, and As of 2007: Port Sector Reform including introduction of the Landlord Port Management system, concessioning of cargo handling operations and marine services to the private sector, and development of the long term port strategy. Development of Ports in Croatia Since 2003, the World Bank has been working closely with Croatian Authorities to help transform the Croatian port sector by introducing long-term concessions and private investments, and by developing additional physical capacity in the ports and along the corridors. This program will contribute to the strategic objective of the Croatian Government, which seeks to join the European Union as a competitive economy able to achieve convergence to EU living standards. The development of Pan-European transport corridors plays a central role in this convergence strategy. In particular, the Government of Croatia places priority on developing and expanding its two largest international seaports, in Rijeka and Ploce, as gateways to Central and Eastern Europe.  WHAT'S NEW PPIAF Port Investments 2009 World Top 10 Container Ports RELATED IMO ILO UNCTAD World Bank Port Strategy (PDF, 32KB) EVENTS 27th IAPH World Ports Conference May 23-27, 2011 8th Intermodal Africa Conference  October 28-29, 2010

HIGHLIGHTS Port Reform Toolkit As operations became more complex and capital intensive, a shift in ports ownership and management occurred from the public to the private sector. The 2nd edition of the World Bank Port Reform Toolkit offers an overview of all port reform components as well as a description of regulation issues. Supply Chain Security Guide Supply chain security aims to introduce systems, procedures and technology that are intended to eliminate threats to the entire supply chain. The World Bank SCS guide describes all components of SCS and is preliminarily directed toward port and trading communities at large. IMMTA Newsletter (PDF, 431KB) This issue includes an article on the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly by Sea, along with articles on the impact of climate change and the global economic crisis on the sector.