This paper examines the competitiveness of ports located along the Yangtze River Delta(YRD) in China using the fuzzy multi-criteria method, and then determines the reasonable position of each port in this region. The results demonstrate that Shanghai is the number one among the selected ports in terms of perceived competitiveness on the representative criteria. The competitiveness of the other ports is ordered as Ningbo-Zhoushan, Suzhou, Nanjin, Nantong, Zhenjiang, Yangzhou, Jiangyin, and Taizhou. The competitiveness of the last five ports is nearly the same. The ports in YRD can be positioned as follows: The port of Shanghai should be developed as the container hub port through the construction and operation of Yangshan port; Ningbo-Zhoushan port can be considered as the subsidiary container hub port and the bulk cargo transshipment center in YRD. Taicang port can be developed as regional transshipment port for short sea routes . The other ports can be developed as the feeder ports of Shanghai port. Furthermore, the method used here shows the potential to be applicable to the ports and logistics related service industries in other regions.
Abstract