The Efficiency Measurement of Major Ports in East Asia: A Data Envelopment Analysis on a Competitive Market

抄録

Ports are essential nodes in supply chain networks whose efficiency can greatly influence global logistics. This study evaluates the efficiency and productivity of 22 major East Asian ports using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and the Malmquist Productivity Index (MPI). The employment of the CCR model, which assumes constant returns to scale, and the BCC model, which assumes variable returns to scale, is to assess technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and scale efficiency in 2023. The MPI examines the productivity change from 2021 to 2023, which is divided into efficiency change and technical change. Results show that 4 ports, including Guangzhou Harbor, Lianyungang, Shanghai, and Suzhou, achieved the efficiency frontier, while 18 ports are considered inefficient. The DEA-Malmquist analysis shows that all the ports have technical improvements, yet 14 ports show efficiency regress, resulting in an insignificant overall MPI of 1.001.