Evaluation of competition ability and market share for container port

This study aims to develop an index system to evaluate container port competition ability, and to provide theoretical foundation for regional ports' integration. First we summarize the actual method for evaluating container port performance. Through a series of surveys on ports, clients, and forwarders as well as the logistics experts, we analyze and sort the factors affecting the container port competition ability. Basically, they are port scale, operation condition, facility condition, service level, and management system. Second, experienced shipping and port experts. are chosen to score the factors, and with the survey results we determine weights of factors in each layer respectively. Then analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is applied to quantify the index system and work out the comprehensive score of each port. At last, based on this index system and the optimal path-searching algorithm we figure out each port's hinterland in the Bohai sea region in China.