Spatial competition and complementarity in European port regions

•A spatial econometric framework is proposed for analyzing port competition.•Competition is found to be strongest in northern European countries and lowest in Mediterranean countries.•The role of port governance as a factor of influence is discussed.

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether inter-port relationships in European container shipping are characterized primarily by competition or complementarity, and to what extent this differs between major port regions. Utilizing a set of spatial dependence model specifications and quarterly container throughput data for 92 European ports in five regions between 2000 and 2014, it is found that the nature of inter-port relationships tend to differ between major port regions. While the Hamburg-Le Havre region is characterized mostly by competition, ports in the Mediterranean region are found to be complementary with regard to demand.