The port of Kaohsiung : competing to be the global logistics hub port in the Far East

Abstract

China is rapidly emerging as a new economic world power and a huge hinterland for its neighbouring ports in the Far East. This case deals with how the management at the port of Kaohshiung, the fourth largest port of the world in 2001, should respond strategically to the opportunities created in China and the future challenges resulting from the migration of global manufacturers to the lower cost country.

The management reviewed the recent events and considered some fundamental questions that were critical in formulating port strategy. The case is set in the year 2001, when container volume passing through Kaohsiung Port registered a decreasing growth rate for the past two consecutive years, due in part to the worsening shipping recession. Period covered 1995 – 2002