Dealing with globalisation at the regional and local level: the case of contemporary containerization

This paper considers the challenges that ocean container companies face in developing global operations in the ocean and land realms. The recent horizontal and vertical integration of the ocean carriers and the subsequent formation of global networks have taken place for the transport of goods at sea. Conformity in operations is to be expected in the globalisation process, however, there is less conformity of operations on land. The cooperation strategies at sea appear to break down when the goods reach the port. Each shipping company has its own network of agents and agreements with shippers, freight forwarders or land transportation companies to handle goods on land. Each also has varying logistics provision abilities. Moreover, the land areas vary according to simple geography, economic development, transport infrastructure and institutional constraints. Of these differences, we suggest that institutional constraints create the greatest challenge to the ocean carriers adopting a universal land strategy to service their customers. The paper focuses on three major areas for containerisation--East Asia, Northwest Europe and North America--and draws on interviews conducted with shipping industry executives in Norfolk (Va.), Rotterdam, Le Havre, Hong Kong and Singapore. The paper ends with a look at the land operations of Maersk Sealand as an example of a company with varying capabilities and strategies for the landward transport of containers. Cet article s'adresse aux defis des compagnies de transport maritime de conteneurs dans le developpement d'operations globales sur mer et sur terre. L'intdgration verticale et horizontale des transporteurs oceaniques et la formation subsequente de reseaux globaux caracterisent desormais le transport maritime de merchandises. La conformite des operations apparait donc necessaire dans Ie processus de globalisation. Force est de constater toutefois que cette conformite est moins apparente dans les operations terrestres. Les strategies de cooperation en mer semblent disparaitre lorsque les marchandises atteignent Ie port. Chaque compagnie maritime possede son propre reseau d'agents et des ententes specifiques avec les affreteurs, expediteurs ou compagnies de transport pour la manutention terrestre des marchandises. Chacune dispose egalement d'un ensemble de capacites logistiques. De facon davantage marquee, l'aire de marche terrestre varie en fonction de la geographie, du developpement economique, des infrastructures de transport et de contraintes institutionnelles. De cet eventail de differences, nous suggerons que ce sont les contraintes institutionnelles qui posent Ie plus grand defi pour les transporteurs oceaniques qui adoptent une strategie terrestre universelle de desserte de leurs clients. L'article cible sur les trois plus importantes regions pour Ie transport conteneurise--l'Asie de l'Est, l'Europe du Nord-Ouest et l'Amerique du Nord--et repose sur plusieurs entrevues menees aupres de dirigeants de l'industrie maritime d Norfolk (Va.), Rotterdam, Le Havre, Hong Kong et Singapour. Le texte conclut sur une analyse des operations terrestres de Maersk Sealand a titre de compagnie affichant differentes capacites et strategies pour Ie transport terrestre de conteneurs. Introduction There is a growing literature relating to the expansion of the operational scale and scope of ocean container carriers (Heaver et al. 2000; Midoro and Pitto 2000; Notteboom and Winkelmans 2001). Expansion is occurring as a result of both vertical and horizontal integration of the supply chain. Shipping companies are forming alliances with other ocean carriers, and the industry is being further re-shaped by acquisitions and mergers. As the ocean carriers are adopting more logistics functions, they are extending their operations on land as well as across the seas. A driving force behind these developments is the globalisation of production and consumption and the consequent increase in international trade (Ikita 2001). …