Analysis of the market concentration of the container shipping markets – selected issues

Abstract

The value of maritime freight transport grows yearly both in terms of value and quantity. The dynamic development of container shipping is responsible for this state of affairs. The maritime container transport market is strongly integrated on the supply side. The aim of this paper is to determine, based on empirical data, whether the market is still competitive for its participants on the supply side. For this purpose, the 2 indicators of concentration were calculated, namely CRx-concentration for 4 operators with the largest market share, and Herfindahl-Hirshmann Index for TOP 10 and TOP 20 operators, based on AXS Alphaliner TOP100 and various issues of UNCTAD Review of Maritime Transport. The results of the calculations indicate that the market is still competitive, although it is heading towards a direction in which several large entities will dictate the conditions to other participants.

Keywords

• Herfindahl-Hirshmann Index
• Maritime container shipping market
• Competitiveness
• Concentration