For millennia, the Mediterranean has been one of the most active trading areas, supported by a transport network connecting riparian cities and beyond to their hinterland. The Mediterranean has complex trade patterns and routes--but with key differences from the past. It is no longer an isolated world economy: it is both a trading area and a transit area linking Europe and North Africa with the rest of the world through the hub-and-spoke structure of maritime networks. Understanding how trade connectivity works in the Mediterranean, and elsewhere, is important to policy makers, especially those in developing countries in the Mediterranean, concerned with the economic benefits of large investment in infrastructure. Better connectivity is expected to increase trade with distant markets and stimulate activities in the hinterland. This book is a practical exploration of the three interdependent dimensions of trade connectivity: maritime networks, port efficiency, and hinterland connectivity. Because of the complexity and richness of maritime and trade patterns in the Mediterranean, the research book combines both a regional focus and globally scalable lessons. This book is intended for a wide readership of policy makers in maritime affairs, trade, or industry; professionals from the world of finance or development institutions; and academics. It combines empirical analysis of microeconomic shipping and port data with three case studies of choice of port (focusing on Spain, Egypt, and Morocco) and five case studies on hinterland development (Barcelona; Malta; Marseilles; Port Said East, Egypt; and Tanger Med, Morocco)

This book is the result of my studies, which use the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) simulations for exploring impacts of international trade on logistics services. Because, demand for logistics depends mostly on the volume of trade and trade patterns, international trade affects the transport and logistics, as it might generate a higher or lower demand for transport and logistics services. This book consists of two parts and seven chapters. First part of the book shortly introduces you to the general concepts of the computable general equilibrium models (CGE) and presents you fundamentals of a CGE model. In each chapter of the last part, short articles that include various simulations based on various scenarios are presented. Each chapter of this book is independent of each other. I hope you will find this book informative, beneficial and appropriate for your needs.