The Relative Efficiency of Container Terminals in Small and Medium-Sized Ports in China

The promotion of domestic consumption in China will gradually ramp up the small and medium-sized port container industry, and this will require greater port efficiency and an updated development strategy. The aim of this paper is to evaluate operational and productivity efficiency change in 21 coastal small and medium sized-port container terminals in China. The first step was carried out using data envelopment analysis (DEA) and the Malmquist productivity index (MPI), and the factors affecting productivity efficiency change were then estimated and quantified using Tobit regression. The empirical results indicate that the most efficient terminals are the Rizhao and Lianyungang port terminals. Furthermore, the terminals that hold a share of more than 50% of Chinese state-owned shipping line show the highest increase in productivity efficiency change. Lastly, the results indicate manpower structure; Chinese state-owned shipping line shareholding; registered capital; and shipping routes have positive effect and the factor, number of terminal operators, have a negative correlation.