Essays on Port Economics

The aim of this book is to offer a comprehensive overview of the economics of ports for scientists, students and professionals. The text is divided into five self-contained parts: the first chapter defines the demand for port services using an econometric approach. The second part analyzes the provision of port services using the production, cost, investment and profit functions of various ports. The third part combines the two previous parts in order to propound a general equilibrium approach. The fourth part looks at regulation, efficiency and the existence of ports as natural monopolies. Finally, the fifth part uses Cost Benefit Analysis for an economic evaluation of the feasibility of building new ports or enlarging existing ones.