PORTS AND MARITIME TRANSPORT, THE ROLE OF THE EU

The importance of the maritime sector was clearly highlighted by the Ever Given ship accident in the Suez Canal: a single event managed to shake up international trade for several days, triggering delays in deliveries and significant economic losses.

Maritime transport is the basis of global supply chain links and economic interdependence, with shipments and ports estimated to handle more than 80% of the world’s trade in goods. The health emergency has accelerated some growing trends such as régionalisation, sustainability and digitalization, which will be at the heart of the post-pandemic recovery. The effects of supply chain restrictions and more strategic management of line capacity are hitting the China-Europe route more severely, which saw a limited 5% drop in volume in 2020 compared to 2019, which suggests significant growth potential in 2021 as demand picks up; however, transport fares from China to Europe have grown in recent months and shipping a 20-foot container from China to Europe now costs more than 5 times compared to a year ago (Shanghai Export Containerized Freight Index). The EU can play a key role in supporting the resumption of port activities; and, in Italy, we are still waiting for the development of the ZES.