| Abstract: | Before 1989, West European ports were vying with one another to be in a competitive position in preparation for the cessation in 1993 of internal customs barriers within the European Common Market. The sudden opening up of Eastern Europe in 1989 gave an additional dimension to the competition, and the expected opening of the English Channel tunnel in 1993 will augment the challenge. As if these changes were not enough, European ports had to respond to a host of other trends and conditions. The stakes are high: experts have predicted that in the end, there will be only one central hub port, or at best three or four, and that other ports will have to serve as feeder or specialized ports. |
