This paper empirically evaluates container terminal service attributes from shipping lines and shipping agencies' perspective. Some methods are applied for study, such as Internal-Consistency Reliability, Factor Analysis, Cluster Analysis, Importance-Satisfaction Analysis and analysis of variance. The results suggest that customers perceive reliability of the agreed vessel sailing time to be the most important container terminal service attribute followed by custom declaration efficiency, loading and discharging efficiency, port cost and berth availability. While quality of port facility is the most satisfactory service attribute. Based on the concept of market segmentation, we employed cluster analysis to classify customers of container terminal into three segments, namely port cost oriented firms, port facilities and equipments oriented firms, and service efficiency and IT service oriented firms. Theoretical and practical implications of the research findings are discussed.

This study seeks the strategy alternatives for continuous port competitiveness of Busan port improvement in rapidly changing of environment in Northeast Asia shipping. This study aims: 1) to compare port competitiveness of Busan and Shanghai port using entropy weigh TOPSIS; 2) to seek ways to improve port competitiveness of Busan port. After searching the related criteria on port competitiveness factors for analysis, the main criteria are divided into two categories: port throughput (port throughput, throughput change rate, and transshipment cargo volume and transshipment cargo rate), port facilities (depth, the number of C/C, berth length, the number of berth, total area, storage area) criteria of Busan and Shanghai port. The empirical results indicate that Shanghai port is more competitive than Busan port in total competitiveness and port throughput criteria, and Busan port is more competitive than Shanghai port in port facilities criteria.

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The location and selection of logistics nodes that facilitate the China Railway Express and rail-sea intermodal transportation has received increasing attention in China under the Belt and Road Initiative. The objective is to solve problems caused by the increasing number of origin cities opening international trains, such as disorderly competition, insufficient cargoes and low overall coordination. This study screens 22 cities as candidate Chinese international container multimodal hubs (CICMHs) in consideration of the actual situation of China's trade transportation. Thirteen indicators are screened using the information contribution rate-information substitutability method. Then, a comprehensive evaluation model is proposed to evaluate the candidate CICMHs and rank them. The model is based on the extended grey relational analysis-technique for order preference similar to ideal solution in combination with prospect theory. Chongqing,

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