Development of the Common Standard Curricula on International Transport and Logistics Basic Training for

ASEAN Member States under Sustainable Human Resource Development in Logistics Services

CHAPTER 5 :
Transport Geography, Shipping Routes & Major Ports
Development of the Common Standard Curricula on International Transport and Logistics Basic Training for
ASEAN Member States under Sustainable Human Resource Development in Logistics Services

IMPORTANT NOTICE
This Training Material is belonging to ASEAN Copyright
Under Development of the Common Standard Curricula on
International Transport and Logistics Basic Training Program
For ASEAN Member States

*Trainers who intend to use this material shall request ASEAN

Secretariat to grant the right of usage directly or through Mr. Somsak
Wisetruangrot –AFFA Logistics Institute
[email protected]
2
Learning Objective
After completion of this training, you should understand the following :

o Transport Geography
o Shipping Routes
o Major Ports
 Transport Geography
Transport geography can be understood from a series of core principles :

1. Transportation is the spatial linking of a derived demand.

2. Distance is a relative concept involving space, time and effort.
3. Space is at the same time the generator, support and a constraint for mobility.
4. The relation between space and time can converge or diverge.
5. A location can be central, where it generates and attract traffic, or an intermediate element
where traffic transits through.
6. To overcome geography, transportation must consume space.
7. Transportation seeks massification but is constrained by atomization.
8. Velocity is a modal, intermodal and managerial effort.

The Geography of Transport Systems, Fourth Edition, Jean-Paul Rodrigue (2017)

 Transport Geography

The Geography of Transport Systems, Fourth Edition, Jean-Paul Rodrigue (2017)

International Maritime Routes
1. International trade routes
o Main traffic routes
o Location of ports
o Transhipment points ; and
o Inland centre
 International Maritime Routes
2. Types of maritime routes
1. Port-to-Port
o Involves a more or less regular service between two ports,
often moving back and forth with unidirectional freight flows,
which involves an empty backhaul. This structure has the
disadvantage of offering limited connectivity and mainly
represents movements of raw materials such as oil, minerals
and grain, between zones of extraction and main consumption
markets. They are usually chartered ships that load in one port
and discharge their cargo in one to three ports in proximity.
Tramp ships (for hire) do not have a specific network structure
and service ports according to fluctuations in the demand.

The Geography of Transport Systems, Fourth Edition, Jean-Paul Rodrigue (2017)

 International Maritime Routes
2. Inter Range
o This configuration is characterizing containerized cargo and
involves a regular itinerary between a sequence of ports
where the maritime shipping line seeks to optimize their ship
use by electing to service ports having important trade
relations. A set of ports along one range (seaboard) are
serviced and then an ocean is crossed with the process being
repeated along another range. The most significant inter-
range routes are between East Asia, North America and
Western Europe, the three main poles of the global economy.

The Geography of Transport Systems, Fourth Edition, Jean-Paul Rodrigue (2017)

 International Maritime Routes
3. Multi Ranges
o This configuration is characterizing containerized cargo and
involves a regular itinerary between a sequence of ports
where the maritime shipping line seeks to optimize their ship
use by electing to service ports having important trade
relations. A set of ports along one range (seaboard) are
serviced and then an ocean is crossed with the process being
repeated along another range. The most significant inter-
range routes are between East Asia, North America and
Western Europe, the three main poles of the global economy.

The Geography of Transport Systems, Fourth Edition, Jean-Paul Rodrigue (2017)

 Major Maritime Routes

The Geography of Transport Systems, Fourth Edition, Jean-Paul Rodrigue (2017)

 Major Shipping Routes
The major shipping routes around the world include :

o Far East to Europe

o Trans – Atlantic
o Trans – Pacific
o Far East to Mediterranean

The two routes that are considered the most important by the major shipping lines are
the Far East – Europe and the USA trade routes.

The Practitioner’s Definitive Guide,

SEAFREIGHT FORWARDING
4th Edition, SINGAPORE LOGISTICS
ASSOCIATION
 Shipping Routes

The Geography of Transport Systems, Fourth Edition, Jean-Paul Rodrigue (2017)

Shipping Routes
o Trans-Pacific Eastbound - East Asia to USA and Canada
o Trans-Pacific Westbound - USA/Canada to Asia, Arabian Gulf, Red Sea and Indian
Subcontinent
o Eastern Mediterranean - Cyprus, Greece, Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Palestine, Turkey, Egypt,
Libya, and Jordan
 North-eastern Mediterranean could sometimes include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece (usually included within Eastern Mediterranean countries),
Slovenia, North Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Romania, and Ukraine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Mediterranean
o Western Mediterranean - the Mediterranean coastlines belonging to Spain, France and
Malta, as well as the portion of Italian coastlines along the Thyrrenian Sea and Strait of Sicily.
https://www.msp-platform.eu/sea-basins/west-mediterranean
Shipping Routes
o Greater China - Mainland China, Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_China
o Indian Subcontinent – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal,
Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_subcontinent
o Australasia - Australia, New Zealand, and some neighbouring islands
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australasia
o Pacific Islands - the islands of the Pacific Ocean : Polynesia, Micronesia,
and Melanesia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_islands_in_the_Pacific_Ocean
o Carribean Island – the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by
the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the
North Atlantic Ocean) and the surrounding coasts. The region is
southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and the North American mainland, east
of Central America, and north of South America.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean
 Top 50 World Ports (2018)
Volume 2018 Volume 2018 Volume 2018
Rank Port Rank Port Rank Port
(Million TEU) (Million TEU) (Million TEU)
1 Shanghai, China 42.01 36 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 4.12
2 Singapore 36.6 19 Hamburg, Germany 8.73 37 Santos, Brazil 4.12
3 Shenzhen, China 27.74 20 Long Beach, U.S.A. 8.09 38 Rizhao, China 4
Ningbo-Zhoushan, China 21 Laem Chabang, Thailand 8.07 39 Colon, Panama 3.89
4 26.35
Keihin Ports, Japan* 40 Felixstowe, U.K. 3.85
Guangzhou Harbor, China Seattle-Tacoma NW
5 21.87 Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, 41 3.8
22 7.64 Seaport Alliance, U.S.A.
Indonesia
6 Busan, South Korea 21.66 42 Dongguan, China 3.5
23 New York-New Jersey, U.S.A. 7.2
Hong Kong, S.A.R, China 43 Tanger Med, Morocco 3.47
7 19.6
24 Colombo, Sri Lanka 7.05 44 Barcelona, Spain 3.42
8 Qingdao, China 18.26 25 Yingkou, China 6.5 45 Vancouver, Canada 3.4
9 Tianjin, China 16 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 46 Salalah, Oman 3.39
26 6.33
Jebel Ali, Dubai, United 47 Fuzhou, China 3.34
10 14.95 Bremen/Bremerhaven,
Arab Emirates 27 5.42 48 Marsaxlokk, Malta 3.31
Rotterdam, The Germany 49 3.23
11 14.51 Nanjing, China
Netherlands Hanshin Port, Japan**
50 Cai Mep, Vietnam 3.2
12 Port Klang, Malaysia 12.32 28 Manila, Philippines 5.05
13 Antwerp, Belgium 11.1 Jawarharlal Nehru Port
29 5.05
Kaohsiung, Taiwan, China (Nhava Sheva), India
14 10.45 30 Piraeus, Greece 4.91
15 Xiamen, China 10 31 Algeciras, Spain 4.77
16 Dalian, China 9.77 32 Lianyunguang, China 4.75
17 Los Angeles, U.S.A 9.46 33 Tokyo, Japan 4.57
Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia 34 Mundra, India 4.44
18 8.96
35 Savannah, U.S.A 4.35
http://www.worldshipping.org/about-the-industry/global-trade/top-50-world-container-ports
Reference Links
o Free AIS Ship Tracking of Marine Traffic at
https://www.vesselfinder.com/
o This is an incredible visualization of the world's shipping routes at
http://www.vox.com/2016/4/25/11503152/shipping-routes-map
 Any Questions ?

CHAPTER 5 :
Transport Geography, Shipping Routes & Major Ports