 Maritime Transport Productivity between China and Latin America: A Metafrontier Analysis, 2010–2021Adrian Alonzo Pedraza Aquije (), Víctor Ballena Domínguez () and Diego Sande Veiga () Revista Galega de Economía, 2026, vol. 35, issue 1, 1-31 Abstract: This study analyzes maritime transport productivity in trade between China and Latin America and the Caribbean, considering technological differences among countries. The DEA-Malmquist model is applied within a metafrontier framework to estimate productivity scores, complemented by a Prais–Winsten model to identify the factors explaining productivity variations. The results reveal that southern countries face less favorable technological conditions compared to those in the north and central regions, although both groups exhibit a gradual convergence toward the metafrontier of efficiency. Research and development capacity, industrial activity, and private sector participation have a positive effect on productivity, while structural changes show adverse impacts. The study concludes that enhancing port competitiveness through technological innovation, workforce training, and increased R&D investment is essential to strengthen Latin America’s integration into global value chains and expand its participation in international trade. Keywords: Productivity; Maritime transport; Metafrontier; Latin America and the Caribbean; China (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sdo:regaec:v:35:y:2026:i:1_1 Access Statistics for this article More articles in Revista Galega de Economía from University of Santiago de Compostela. Faculty of Economics and Business. Contact information at EDIRC. |
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