As of January 2022, there are several infrastructure projects across the world. Whether focusing on ports and terminals, the connections to the hinterland that allow the smooth transportation of cargo, the storage and transportation of new alternative fuels, or even digital connectivity, adequate infrastructure is key to guarantee trade optimization, port competitiveness and the evolution of trade routes.
Among The main trends that are driving the modernization of logistics infrastructure across ports the world are the development of supply chains, and the forecast of potential new trade hubs, interoperability and connectivity to the hinterland, energy transition and sustainability, digitalisation and automation. Despite the multiplicity of factors, these trends are bound by a common goal: Resilience, which will permit efficient interoperability between ports and the rest of the supply chain.
From a geopolitical perspective, another driver to add to the equation is the US-China rivalry. Both countries are invested in infrastructure initiatives that will significantly impact maritime trade. Over the last decade, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been expanding across most of Africa, Central and East Asia, and Latin America; as an alternative, and after the last G7 summit, Joe Biden has announced the Build Back a Better World (B3W) initiative, which is set to catalyse hundreds of billions of dollars of sustainable infrastructure investment for low- and middle-income countries in the coming years. In addition to the B3W, the EU has launched its "Global Gateway" project (December 2021), featuring a €300 billion infrastructure spending plan that aims to boost European supply chains and trade across the world. We are yet to see the effect of these initiatives upon maritime trade.
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