Report; A Metric of Global Maritime Supply Chain Disruptions https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099746107032431443/pdf/IDU19447dab513757140b1193cd19643f0ab7c10.pdf
In recent years, containerized trade, the backbone of global value chains, has experienced unprecedented disruptions. For instance, the COVID-19 pandemic created unforeseen consequences in a far-ranging array of sectors on a global scale, triggering an unprecedented supply chain crisis from late 2020 to mid-2022. Surging trade demand surpassed shipping capacity, itself affected by massive operational disruptions in key ports. In 2023, there were two events of global relevance. First, a severe drought affected the operation of the locks in the Panama Canal, resulting in a reduction in throughput and restricting the size of vessels able to transit the canal. Later in the year, militant groups carried out attacks in the Red Sea, forcing shipping lines to reroute ships servicing the Asia-Europe and Asia-US East Coast trade routes through the Cape of Good Hope.
The Container Port PERFORMANCE INDEX 2021 https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/66e3aa5c3be4647addd01845ce353992-0190062022/original/Container-Port-Performance-Index-2021.pdf
Maritime transport is the backbone of globalized trade and the manufacturing supply chain. The mari- time sector offers the most economical, energy efficient, and reliable mode of transportation over long distances. More than four-fifths of global merchandise trade (by volume) is carried by sea. A significant and growing portion of that volume, accounting for approximately 35 percent of total volumes and more than 60 percent of commercial value, is carried in containers. The growth of containerization has led to vast changes in the where and the how goods are manufactured and processed, a process that continues to evolve. Container ports, accordingly, are critical nodes in global supply chains and central to the growth strategies of many emerging economies. In many cases, the development of high-qual- ity container port infrastructure, operated efficiently, has been a prerequisite to successful export-led growth strategies. It can facilitate investment in production and distribution systems, supporting the expansion of manufacturing and logistics, creating employment, and raising income levels.