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Container Flows in the Pear River System:
Hong Kong's Advantage
IFSPA 2009
Qi Fu
with Liming Liu, Zhou Xu
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Outline
Introduction
Ports and Transport Connection in GPRD
Barging: A New Growth Area for Hong Kong Port
Challenges of Barge Transport in Hong Kong
Strategies to Improve Barge Transport Service
Conclusion
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Greater Pearl River Delta (GPRD)
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Economic Growth of PRD Economic Zone
Include 9 mainland cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai,
Dongguan, Zhongshan, Huizhou and Zhaoqing
Rapid economic growth driven by vast Foreign Direct Investments
The average growth rate is over 16% in 1980-2006.
Source:
The Greater Pearl River Delta, by
Michael J. Enright,
Edith E. Scott,
Enright, Scott & Associates
Fifth Edition
Hong Kong and PRD
Over 70% of the Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in PRD
during 1979-2006 are from Hong Kong.
PRD: industrial hinterland of Hong Kong and a manufacturing
base of the world
Hong Kong: providing logistic, financial, legal, design and
marketing services to export the cargo to the rest of the
world
About 70% of the container traffic in Hong Kong is related to
Southern China.
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Major Ports in GPRD
2003
2007
2008
Hong Kong
20,450 23,998
24,494
Shen Zhen
10,650 21,100
21,400
Guang Zhou 2,760
9,260
11,001
Container Throughput
(in 1,000 TEUs)
Hong Kong Port vs. Mainland Ports
Advantages
High frequency of vessel calling
Free port
Easy and transparent customs
High port productivity
Low taxes
Well-developed related services (finance, insurance, legal, etc.)
Disadvantages
High terminal handling charges (THCs)
High inland transport costs
Transport Connection between HK and PRD
Middle and Eastern PRD
Good road linkage
Faster economic growth due to more FDIs
Escalation of land and labor costs
Western PRD
Beyond the “magic three hour travelling” of Hong Kong
Less impact from FDI, much resources and space remain
untapped
Conne