Catalonia - An Emerging Economy: The Most Cost-Effective Ports in the Mediterranean Sea (The Canada Blanch/Sussex Academic Studies on Contemporary Spain)

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About Catalonia - An Emerging Economy: The Most

Product Description In the 21st century, the Mediterranean Sea is set to achieve the highest volume of shipping trade in the world. This anticipated expansion will be due in part to the growth of the Asia-Europe trade corridor, complemented by the proposed Suez Canal enlargement. The Catalan ports of Barcelona, Valencia, and Tarragona Catalan offer the most efficient and cost-effective port entrance to the Mediterranean, and they are poised to gain ascendancy over other European ports offering similar services. Economists and business leaders predict that Asia will become the main industrial platform of the world and Europe will become the main purchasing market of the world. Such forecasts seem to be on track, given that, in 2008, the ports of Barcelona and Valencia surpassed the container traffic of the French port of Marseille and the Italian port of Genoa for the first time ever. Only Catalonia has modern important industrial bases near the port areas in the Mediterranean (this is not the case for Marseille, Genoa, or Algeciras). Catalan ports are thus able to add value to semi-manufactured goods imported from the emerging economies in Asia, Africa, and South America. It is anticipated that Catalan ports will play a similar role to the Flemish and Dutch ports, which in the 20th century were at the forefront of the expansion of trade across the Atlantic ocean. Under these circumstances, it is not surprising that global logistic operators rate Barcelona as the dominant and most important entrance port for Asian and African trade with Europe in the Mediterranean Sea. About the Author Ramon Tremosa-i-Balcells is a lecturer in macroeconomics at the University of Barcelona. He has published numerous books and academic papers in international economic journals about logistics, regional economy, fiscal federalism, and monetary policy and specializes in Catalan economy with a focus in Catalan potential economic growth. He was elected Member of the European Parliament for the Catalan coalition in 2009.