Transport systems and their impact on trade facilitation, logistics performance and competitiveness : an analytical approach

Abstract

PURPOSE: The main aim of the research is to: 1/ identify and analyze the key components determining countries’ level of trade facilitation achieved, as well as their efficiency of logistics macrosystems and competitiveness on the global scale, 2/ indicate how the efficiency of the transport system affects trade facilitation, as well as the logistic efficiency and competitiveness of the economies, 3/ compare the selected countries in terms of their competitiveness, logistics efficiency and trade facilitation.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: At conducting this research, the following methods were applied: 1. critical literature analysis, 2. factor analysis (FA), 3. mining of data obtained from international reports of the World Bank and the World Economic Forum, 4. PEST and comparative analysis (CA). In addition, there has been applied in-depth analysis of such indicators as logistics performance indices (LPI), trade facilitation indices (ETI) and countries’ competitiveness indexes (CI).

FINDINGS: The obtained research results indicate that within the selected group of countries there are still significant differences in the required level of development and efficiency of their transport and logistics systems in relation to their position in the world trade. Due to the underdevelopment of their transport and logistics systems, some of them are unable to use this resources effectively as a factor capable of creating significant facilitations in the flow of goods and building the competitiveness of their economies. As a result, they incur additional indirect costs resulting from a logistics ineffectiveness of servicing huge commodity flows generated in export and import. Moreover, such costs are transferred within the global supply chains onto final consumers of imported goods.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The study reveals the significant inconsistencies existed between transport sector's productivity and trade requirements in several leading global trading countries. Therefore, mainly these countries as well as international intergovernmental organisations, aimed at removing trade barriers and reducing logistics indirect costs of transporting goods in the global scale should support more actively the development of smart and green transport systems, while improving the quality of transport services in logistics terms.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The research that may be treated as a kind of case study, highlights the interdependencies that exist between the efficiency of transport and logistics systems and the level of trade facilitation as well as the competitiveness of economies on a global scale. It can contribute to enriching the theory on the transport system as a pole of growth via accelerating trade and improving competitiveness of economies in the global environment.