Title: The efficiency analysis of main coastal ports in China

Authors: Tingsong Wang; Yaru Chen; Liyang Xiao

Addresses: School of Management, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China ' School of Management, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China ' School of Management, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China

Abstract: This paper aims to evaluate the operational efficiency of 12 coastal ports in China from 2017 to 2020 and analyse the impact of internal and external environmental factors on port efficiency. The first stage uses the traditional data envelopment analysis (DEA) to measure the static efficiency of the port, the second stage uses the Malmquist productivity index (MPI) to analyse the intertemporal dynamic change trend of the port efficiency, and the third stage uses the Tobit regression to estimate and quantify the factors affecting the static efficiency. We find that the operational efficiency of the 12 coastal ports is generally at a high level, but it is still limited by management method, technological level and input-output structure. It is also found that production berth quantity, staff quantity, import and export volume, and per capita GDP in the hinterland have a significant impact on efficiency, and the COVID-19 pandemic has also resulted in a negative impact on the port industry.

Keywords: port efficiency; data envelopment analysis; DEA; Malmquist index; Tobit regression; China.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTL.2024.139064

International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics, 2024 Vol.18 No.3, pp.324 - 340

Received: 20 Jul 2022
Accepted: 15 Nov 2022
Published online: 11 Jun 2024 *

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