Why Cargo Dwell Time Matters in Trade

The international community has been
increasing investment in projects that promote trade
facilitation and improve logistics in the developing world,
including in ports. In Africa, a key motivation for such
projects has been a presumption that poor infrastructure and
inefficient border control agencies are the major causes of
extended delays in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) ports. Based on
new data and analysis, this note argues that collusion
between controlling agencies, port authorities, private
terminal operators, logistics operators, and large shippers
is an important part of the problem. Decreasing dwell times
in ports requires governments to combat collusive practices
between the private sector and public authorities and
recognize that large-scale investments in infrastructure are
not sufficient to reduce logistics delays.