Gateways of International Trade

Ports are the chief gateways of international trade. Every cargo and traveller moving from one part of the world to another passes through a harbour or port. A port’s importance is judged by two things: the size of cargo it handles and the number of ships it receives. The quantity of cargo handled is also a direct indicator of the level of development of the port’s hinterland — the inland region it serves.

Port authorities provide docking, loading, unloading, and storage facilities. To make this possible, they maintain navigable channels, arrange tugs and barges, and supply labour and managerial services.

Types of Port

Ports are generally classified according to the type of traffic they handle. The textbook gives three main bases of classification.

1. According to Cargo Handled

• Industrial Ports: These specialise in bulk cargo — grain, sugar, ore, oil, chemicals, and similar materials.
• Commercial Ports: These handle general cargo, which means packaged products and manufactured goods. They also handle passenger traffic.
• Comprehensive Ports: These handle both bulk and general cargo in large volumes. Most of the world’s great ports fall into this category.

2. On the Basis of Location

• Inland Ports: Located away from the sea coast, these ports are linked to the sea through a river or a canal. They are accessible only to flat-bottom ships or barges. Examples include Manchester (linked by a canal), Memphis (on the Mississippi River), the Rhine ports of Mannheim and Duisburg, and Kolkata (on the Hoogli River, a branch of the Ganga).
• Out Ports: These are deep-water ports built away from the actual port. They serve the parent port by receiving ships that are too large to approach the parent port directly. A classic example is Athens and its out port, Piraeus, in Greece.

3. On the Basis of Specialised Functions

• Oil Ports: These deal in the processing and shipping of oil. Some are tanker ports (e.g., Maracaibo in Venezuela, Esskhira in Tunisia, Tripoli in Lebanon), while others are refinery ports (e.g., Abadan on the Gulf of Persia).
• Ports of Call: Originally developed as calling points on main sea routes, where ships anchored for refuelling, watering, and taking on food. Later, many developed into full commercial ports. Aden, Honolulu, and Singapore are good examples. …