Ports, Networks, and the Geography of Trade

The aim of this thesis is to improve our understanding of the structure and impact of maritime trade. More specifically, it examines the impact of conflicts on the structure of global maritime trade, the evolution of international shipping flows over the long term, and the impact of port activity on local economic development. The first chapter provides a systematic review of the recent literature on shipping networks. Using \textit{natural language processing} algorithms, we identify the main trends in the field since 2007 and outline several avenues for future research. The remainder of the thesis aims to address some of the gaps identified in this first chapter. In the second chapter, we examine the evolution of containerised shipping networks since the 1970s. Our objective is twofold: to provide a comprehensive overview of containerisation from its early years of internationalisation, and to assess the structural changes associated with microeconomic trade-offs, including alliance strategies and port development. We thus show a shift towards a multipolar and increasingly Asian-centred system at the macro level, as well as a transformation in the structure of the links connecting ports at the micro level. The third chapter models and assesses the consequences of the Russia--Ukraine war for the Ukrainian maritime network. Using a multi-level approach, conducted at the levels of ports, flows and countries, we highlight the consequences of a high-intensity conflict for maritime trade and for the ability of a transport system to demonstrate resilience and adaptability several months after the initial shock. This study is one of the first to quantitatively assess the consequences of an armed conflict for the structure and level of activity of a maritime network. The fourth and final chapter examines the link between port activity and local economic development. It explores how ports, as infrastructures connecting regions to international markets, can influence growth, employment and regional dynamics. To address the endogeneity issues associated with this relationship, we construct a historical instrumental variable. We also examine the spillover effects of maritime activity in the hinterland. Our results show that it remains difficult to accurately assess the local impact of maritime trade, even when using robust econometric methods. Finally, we discuss the research perspectives opened up by the evaluation of the local impacts of port and maritime activity. The approach and findings presented in this thesis thus aim to forge links between research themes and fields that remain insufficiently connected. Local issues relating to port activity are examined in the light of global and long-term transformations in maritime trade, while causal econometrics and network analysis methods are integrated into a unified analytical framework. The aim of this thesis is therefore not only to advocate an interdisciplinary approach to maritime trade, but to show that this integration of scales, methods and objects of analysis is a necessary condition for understanding contemporary transformations in port and maritime systems.