Connectivity of global container shipping liner network

What is it about?

The Malacca Strait, the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal are the main channel in the global container shipping liner network. We have studied the vulnerability of global container shipping liner network when the main channel is disrupted.

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Photo by Axel Ahoi on Unsplash

Photo by Axel Ahoi on Unsplash

Why is it important?

we analysed statistical data on all routes operated by the top 100 globa lcontainer liner companies and constructed a network model. We selected four topological metrics to measure the network’s connectivity and used the network weekly total shipping capacity and average shortest shipping time to measure the network’s transportation capacity and transportation time. The interruption of the main channel is simulated, and the changes in the metrics are analysed. We reached the following conclusions: 1) There are 654, 311, and 126 shipping routes pass through the Malacca Strait, Suez Canal, and Panama Canal, respectively, which account for 23.13%, 11.00%, and 4.46% of all shipping routes, respectively. 2) In global container shipping liner network, a container only needs to be transhipped 2–3 times from its departure port to destination port, and the average transportation time is approximately 15 days. 3) If the main channel is interrupted, the connectivity of the network will obviously decrease. 4)The impact of main channel interruption on the shipping core regions’ container liner shipping is particularly prominent.

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