Orientador: André Tosi Furtado / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Geociências / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-18T11:35:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rauen_AndreTortato_D.pdf: 2265370 bytes, checksum: 0f75c45622ea1b76996726d5ad494eab (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: No passado recente, a produção de alta tecnologia era exclusividade de países de alta renda per capita. Contudo, a moderna possibilidade de fragmentar a produção permitiu que países de baixa renda per capita passassem a também produzir bens de alta tecnologia, mesmo quando estes bens são considerados novos. Observa-se que países de alta renda per capita e de elevada capacitação tecnológica executam atividades de maior complexidade enquanto países de baixa renda per capita, com baixos salários e alguma força de atração, executam atividades intensivas em mão de obra. Este trabalho tem então, por objetivo, apresentar e compreender as macrodinâmicas subjacentes a essa nova e intrincada geografia econômica. Para tanto, o mesmo se apoia na teoria do ciclo de vida do produto, complementada pela perspectiva da fragmentação da produção e pela teoria evolucionária do comércio exterior. Com base nestas abordagens teóricas, foi possível observar que a partir das duas últimas décadas do século XX empresas de alta tecnologia de países desenvolvidos passaram a deslocar sua produção para países em desenvolvimento, com baixos salários. Enquanto a produção e o consumo se deslocaram, a tecnologia ainda permanece concentrada. Identificou-se ainda que, mesmo na existência de forte estímulo ao deslocamento da produção, este só ocorre na ausência de sistemas de inovação capazes de estimular a produção interna. Analogamente, a atração de atividades fragmentadas da produção de alta tecnologia, por parte de países de baixos salários, ocorre apenas quando os governos nacionais executam ativas e efetivas políticas públicas para tal. Depois de compreendidas as forças que atuam no sentido de moldar a atual geografia da alta tecnologia, identificaram-se quatro grupos de países, quais sejam: (i) países de liderança tecnológica superavitários; (ii) países de liderança tecnológica deficitários; (iii) países seguidores tecnológicos superavitários e; (iv) países seguidores tecnológicos deficitários / Abstract: In the past, the high-tech production was exclusive made in high per capita income countries. But, currently, this kind of production is also made in low per capita income countries. This change happened due to the possibility of production fragmentation. In this context, countries with high technology intensities focus on the production of complex components and R&D. On the other hand, countries with low technology intensities focus on the assembling or on the production of simple components. Based on these premises, this doctoral thesis aims to understand the geographical macrodynamics related to this new international division of labor. To achieve this objective, the product life cycle theory, the production fragmentation perspective and the evolutionary theory were used. Based on these theoretical approaches, it was observed that the manufacture and consumption of high tech products has started a process of dispersion through different countries in the globe, including low income ones, and that, at the same time, technology development of these high tech products have remained concentrated in the high income countries. It was also possible to observe that the displacement of production, from the high per capita income countries to the low per capita income countries, could be diminished through the establishment of strong national industrial/innovation policies. Analogously, the attraction, by low per capita income countries, of fragmented production relies on the presence of these same policies. Finally, in this new international division of labor, it was identified four different groups of countries: (i) surplus technology leaders; (ii) deficit technology leaders; (iii) surplus technology followers; and (iv) deficit technology followers / Doutorado / Politica Cientifica e Tecnologica / Doutor em Política Científica e Tecnológica

Orientador: Ana Lucia Gonçalves da Silva / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Economia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-26T12:46:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Chiarini_Tulio_D.pdf: 4158767 bytes, checksum: 484945f08aead7fd2cca4d258a90ab74 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: Nações relativamente atrasadas, de forma deliberada, buscaram, por além de seus territórios, instrumentos tecnológicos e conhecimentos capazes de acelerar seu crescimento e desenvolvimento econômico, especialmente quando entenderam que a tecnologia é fonte de vantagens monopolísticas. Esforços empreendidos por Estados Nacionais nesse sentido foram realizados, como medidas que incentivavam o roubo, a coopção, o contrabando, a imitação, a compra de conhecimentos de ponta que pudessem ser adaptados, modificados, melhorados e internalizados. Neste contexto, nações relativamente mais atrasadas conseguiram ter saltos de produtividade ao usar tecnologias desenvolvidas por nações relativamente mais avançadas, entretanto, esse não foi um processo automático. Políticas de estímulo à construção de aptidões tecnológicas foram empreendidas decididamente para que a tecnologia importada propiciasse um processo de aprendizado doméstico. Possibilitou-se, assim, que a posição de destaque da líder Inglaterra fosse posta em jogo, a qual, a fim de manter sua posição relativa e suas vantagens, dificultou a transferência tecnológica. A partir de uma análise histórico-dedutiva, tendo como fio condutor os três principais paradigmas tecnológicos (Revolução Industrial Inglesa, Paradigma Fordista e Paradigma das TICs), apresenta-se o papel da transferência de tecnologia para o processo de emparelhamento tecnológico e diminuição do atraso relativo em diferentes revoluções tecnológicas. Ênfase será dada, sobretudo ao terceiro paradigma tecnológico, a qual serve como pano de fundo para o caso brasileiro a partir de uma análise exploratória de três canais de transferência de tecnologia: comércio de produtos de alto conteúdo tecnológico, influxo de investimento direto externo e pagamentos pelo uso da propriedade intelectual. A proposição desta tese é que, no atual paradigma tecnológico, a transferência internacional de tecnologia é relativamente mais fragilizada, seja pela mudança da natureza do conhecimento e da tecnologia, seja pelas transformações engendradas pelo próprio capitalismo contemporâneo. Ademais, especula-se sobre o processo de transferência de tecnologia para o Brasil, que no seu caso tem ajudado a aumentar a dependência tecnológica. Há indícios de que o país não consegue consolidar um processo de industrialização que resulte em exportações de alto conteúdo tecnológico e que a abertura empreendida pelo país nos anos 1990, a qual registra desde então crescentes entradas de investimento direto externo, não propiciou um aprendizado tecnológico dinâmico, mas ampliou a dependência brasileira por tecnologias externas, o que é visto, dentre outros, pelo volume crescente de pagamento pelo uso de propriedade intelectual / Abstract: Relatively backward nations deliberately sought technology available in other relatively more advanced nations in order to accelerate their growth and economic development, especially when they realized that technology was a source of monopolistic advantages. Efforts of National States in this direction were performed, as measures that encouraged theft, smuggling, imitation, cutting-edge knowledge purchases that could be adapted, modified, improved and internalized. In this context, relatively more backward nations have achieved leaps in productivity when using technology developed by relatively more advanced nations, however, this was not an automatic process. Stimuli to the construction of technological capabilities were decidedly undertaken and a process of domestic learning was stimulated. In order to maintain the relative position and the benefits, relatively more advanced nations created barriers to impeach technology transfer. From a historical-deductive analysis, taking as a guideline the three main technological paradigms (English Industrial Revolution, Fordist and ICT Paradigms), we present the role of technology transfer in a technological catching up process in different technological revolutions. We give emphasis particularly on the third technological paradigm, which serves as a background for the Brazilian case from an exploratory analysis of three channels of technology transfer: trade of high technological content products, inflows of foreign direct investment and payments for the use of intellectual property. The proposition we make here is that, in the current technological paradigm, the international transfer of technology is relatively weakened, either by changing the nature of technology, and by the contemporary transformations engendered by capitalism itself. Furthermore, we speculate on the process of technology transfer to Brazil, which in her case has helped to increase technological dependence. There are indications that the country could not build an industrialization process that could result in exports of high technological content products and the economic opening undertaken by the country in the 1990s did not provide a dynamic technological learning process but expanded Brazil¿s dependence on foreign technologies, what is confirmed, among others, by the increasing volume of payment for the use of intellectual property rights / Doutorado / Teoria Economica / Doutor em Ciências Econômicas

Magister Legum - LLM / Trade and climate change intersect in many ways. Aside from the broad debate as to whether economic growth and trade adversely affect the environment, linkages are recognized between existing rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and rules established in various multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). Controlling greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions promises to be a top priority on both national and international agendas, and special attention has been given to the relationship between the WTO and the emerging international regime on climate change. The unilateral use of carbon-related import restrictions risks triggering retaliation by trading partners. It also raises questions about whether such trade measures are consistent with countries’ obligations under the WTO. The WTO status of measures imposed not on products directly but on the methods by which they were produced, which is the case in carbon-related trade restrictions, is not clear. Whether such violations can be excused by exceptions for measures taken with the purpose to protect human life or health, or the environment, is an open question. There is also the question of whether solutions to the problem of the WTO’s inconsistency with regard to trade-related measures in climate change policy can be found. This paper explores the relationship between trade and climate change regimes, the potential areas of conflict, and what can be done to promote mutual gains. Apart from exploring the key issues and examining the conceptual underpinning of the two regimes, revealing important symmetries as well as some divergence, the paper is aimed at finding a more universal and long lasting solution to the WTO’s inconsistency of carbon-related to GHG emissions, both within and outside the WTO.

Magister Legum - LLM / This paper explores the relationship between trade and climate change regimes, the potential areas of conflict, and what can be done to promote mutual gains. Apart from exploring the key issues and examining the conceptual underpinning of the two regimes, revealing important symmetries as well as some divergence, the paper is aimed at finding a more universal and long lasting solution to the WTO's inconsistency of carbon-related to GHG emissions, both within and outside the WTO.

Orientadores: Cristiano Morini, Luís Antonio de Santa-Eulalia / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Aplicadas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-27T16:46:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ferreira_YuridaCunha_M.pdf: 2095505 bytes, checksum: e777d90d6317bbff27c249d1a35f1314 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: A Aduana (ou alfândega) é um elo da cadeia internacional de suprimentos com a função de controlar a entrada e a saída de mercadorias de um país. A transposição de mercadorias pelas fronteiras está diretamente relacionada aos processos aduaneiros. Medidas de facilitação comercial objetivam tornar o controle da Aduana mais simplificado e efetivo, tornando a cadeia de suprimentos mais fluida e segura. Iniciativas como a utilização de laudos de imagens dos escâneres de raio-X, os programas de facilitação comercial, como o Despacho Aduaneiro Expresso (Linha Azul), e metas de desempenho para servidores aduaneiros podem ser citadas como medidas de facilitação comercial. O objetivo desta pesquisa é analisar o impacto dessas medidas de facilitação comercial na Aduana brasileira, em relação aos diversos tempos que impactam o fluxo de importação. Não existem estudos nas literaturas científica e profissional que analisem quantitativamente os impactos dessas medidas de facilitação comercial no Brasil. Caracterizada pelo método de pesquisa explicativa de natureza experimental, por meio da ferramenta de simulação de eventos discretos, foi desenvolvido um Projeto de Experimentos Fatorial 2^k Completo. O objeto do estudo experimental foi aplicado no fluxo de importação aérea no Aeroporto Internacional de Viracopos, Campinas. Os dados utilizados são originários dos sistemas TECAPLUS e MANTRA e de entrevistas com experts. Durante o desenvolvimento da pesquisa, diversos especialistas da área de comércio exterior estiveram envolvidos, desde a formulação do problema à validação do modelo computacional. Os resultados obtidos nas rodadas de simulação indicam uma melhoria progressiva do sistema simulado em todos os indicadores de desempenho entre o status quo e o cenário de melhor performance. A análise de contrastes dos fatores indica que: o aumento de empresas habilitadas em programas de facilitação comercial (Linha Azul) diminui o tempo médio geral de desembaraço aduaneiro; a utilização de laudos de imagens dos escâneres de raio-X melhora o desempenho de todos os indicadores relacionados à previsibilidade e ao tempo de desembaraço das empresas habilitadas no Despacho Aduaneiro Expresso; e, metas de desempenho para auditores-fiscais da Receita Federal contribui para o aumento da previsibilidade do sistema. Os resultados obtidos indicam melhorias que podem contribuir para ganhos de competitividade para o Brasil / Abstract: Customs is an international supply chain link with the role of controlling goods entries and exits of the country. The cross border of goods is strictly related to customs process. Trade facilitation measures aim to turn Customs control more simplified and effective, turning the supply chain more fluid and secure. Initiatives as the use of X-ray screening images report, the trade facilitation programs, as Express Customs Clearance (Blue Line), and performance goals to customs workers can be indicated as trade facilitation measures. The purpose of this research is to analyse the trade facilitation measures impacts on Brazilian Customs in relation to different times which impact the import flow. There are not studies in professional and scientific literature that make a quantitative analysis about these trade facilitation measures on Brazil. Featured by explanatory research method of experimental nature, by discrete-event simulation, was performed a 2^k Complete Factorial Experimental Design. The study object was applied on air import flow in International Airport of Viracopos, Campinas. The data are from TECAPLUS and MANTRA systems and from interviews with experts. During the development of this research, plenty trade international experts were involved, since problem formulation until computational model verification. The reached results in simulation runs show a progressive improvement in simulated system in all performance indicators between status quo and the best performance scenario. The factors contrasts analysis shows: raising enterprises in trade facilitation programs (Blue Line) decreases general average time of customs clearance; using X-ray screening images report improves all performance indicators related to predictability and to customs clearance time of enterprises qualified in Express Customs Clearance; and, performance goals to Federal Revenue auditors contribute to increase system predictability. The reached results point out improvements that may provide competitiveness gains to Brazil / Mestrado / Pesquisa Operacional / Mestre em Pesquisa Operacional

Orientador: Arnaldo César da Silva Walter / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Mecânica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-28T09:38:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Correia_BrunadeBarros_D.pdf: 1797468 bytes, checksum: 3f1e8ebe3d12e0b6dd330c7d3847bfd3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: As iniciativas de sustentabilidade para biocombustíveis são, sob a ótica jurídica, instrumentos de natureza comercial, previstas pelo TBT como barreiras técnicas ao comércio. O fundamento jurídico que impulsiona o surgimento dessas iniciativas está atrelado à necessidade de combate ao aquecimento global, visto que a redução das emissões de gases de efeito estufa (GEE) é o principal benefício associado à produção e ao uso de biocombustíveis. No entanto, o que justifica a imposição das iniciativas de sustentabilidade para biocombustíveis é a necessidade de harmonia entre as três dimensões da sustentabilidade durante a produção de biocombustíveis. Entende-se, a partir desse conceito, que não basta aos biocombustíveis reduzir as emissões de GEE, uma vez que é ainda preciso que haja respeito, integração e avanços quanto a outros aspectos, sejam de caráter ambiental, social e econômico. Nesse contexto, as funções atribuídas às iniciativas de sustentabilidade para biocombustíveis vão além da questão climática e visam a orientar, verificar e certificar a sustentabilidade dos biocombustíveis, estabelecendo requisitos técnicos quanto à produção, ao comércio e ao consumo dos mesmos, com o intuito de fomentar a produção e o uso de alternativas energéticas sustentáveis. A presente tese tem o objetivo de examinar os desafios jurídicos que recaem sobre o desenvolvimento e sobre a aplicação das iniciativas de sustentabilidade para biocombustíveis. Observou-se que as peculiaridades quanto à natureza, ao fundamento, à justificativa e às funções das iniciativas de sustentabilidade para biocombustíveis revelam os principais desafios jurídicos que devem ser vencidos para o adequado desenvolvimento e aplicação desses instrumentos, particularmente no que concerne à conexão e à cooperação entre diferentes campos normativos e entre diferentes atores da sociedade internacional / Abstract: Sustainability initiatives for biofuels are instruments of international trade, provided by the rules of World Trade Organization, as technical barriers to trade. The imposition of these technical barriers is grounded by the need to combat global warming. In this sense, it is clear that the development and application of sustainability initiatives for biofuels represents a scenario where two different regulatory fields coexist and, at the same time, conflict to each other. This happens whenever a single legal instrument, as a technical barrier, which is provided by the rules of international trade, addresses issues that are grounded and motivated by other international legislations, such as climate regime. However, what justifies the imposition of sustainability initiatives for biofuels is the need for harmony between the three dimensions of sustainability in the production of biofuels. This scenario helps biofuels to transcend the intersection between international trade and climate regime and portray cooperation among all aspects involving sustainability. In this sense, the functions assigned to these initiatives are to guide, to verify and to certify sustainability of biofuels, through the establishment of technical requirements to the production and consumption of biofuels. The principles, criteria and indicators imposed by sustainability initiatives shall regulate the sustainability on biofuels production through the harmony between three spheres: social equity, economic efficiency, and environmental precaution. The present thesis aims to evaluate the legal constrains that relapse over the deployment and application of sustainability initiatives for biofuels. It was noted that the peculiarities due to the nature, foundation, reasons and functions of sustainability initiatives for biofuels reveal the main legal challenges that must be overcome to the proper development and application of these instruments, particularly regarding the connection and cooperation between different regulatory fields and among different actors of international law / Doutorado / Planejamento de Sistemas Energeticos / Doutora em Planejamento de Sistemas Energéticos / 141136/2011-1 / CNPQ

Cette thèse étudie la rencontre et l’appariement entre les entreprises françaises et leurs acheteurs sur les marchés internationaux. La constitution d'un portefeuille d'acheteurs à l'étranger est une composante cruciale de la croissance des exportateurs: les ventes vers de nouveaux acheteurs expliquent près de 50% des différences de taux de croissance à l’export entre les entreprises françaises à moyen terme. Pourtant, sur les marchés internationaux, l'éloignement géographique, les différences culturelles et institutionelles exacerbent les difficultés qu'ont les entreprise à trouver leurs acheteurs potentiels, Rauch (2001), Allen (2014) et Arkolakis (2010). Cette thèse étudie et quantifie l'effet des obstacles informationnels et contraintes financières auxquels les entreprises sont confrontées lorsqu'elles démarchent des acheteurs à l'étrangers.Cette thèse s'appuie sur des données exhaustives détaillant l'ensemble des exportations intracommunautaires françaises sur les vingt dernières années. En particulier pour chaque transaction, l'entreprise française exportatrice, le produit et le montant de la transaction ainsi que l'acheteur par son numéro de TVA introcommunautaire sont identifiés.Le premier chapitre examine comment les frictions de recherche sur les marchés internationaux des biens peuvent fausser la concurrence entre entreprises à productivité hétérogène. Le deuxième chapitre étudie le rôle des contraintes de liquidité dans la construction d’une base de clientèle à l’étranger. Le dernier chapitre étudie l’importance du réseau et des contacts des managers dans l’expansion des entreprises à l'export. / This thesis studies how firms meet and match with their potential buyers in international markets. Buyers accumulation abroad is a crucial component of exporters growth: sales to new buyers explain almost 50% of firms' export growth rate heterogeneity in the medium run. Yet, in international markets, heightened geographical and cultural distances exacerbate search and information frictions making it harder for firms to match with potential buyers. This thesis quantifies the role of search, financial, and network barriers faced by firms while willing to match with buyers abroad.To investigate this question this thesis relies on a unique data set covering the universe of intra-EU trade relationships of French firms in which buyers of French firms are identified. More precisely, for each transaction, the exporting firm, the product and value of the flow as well as the buyer through its European VAT number are recorded.The first chapter explores how search frictions in international good markets distort competition between firms of heterogeneous productivity. The second chapter studies the role of liquidity constraints in preventing firms from expanding their customer base. The last chapter paper investigates the role of managers' networks for the acquisition of buyers in international markets.

Cette thèse analyse les conséquences socio-économiques du changement climatique, en particulier ses effets sur le commerce international, les migrations internes en Inde et la propagation de la dengue au Brésil.Le premier chapitre analyse le lien entre changement climatique et flux de commerce bilatéraux, pour différents secteurs et produits, sur la période 1992-2014. Les variations de température ont un impact négatif sur le commerce bilatéral des pays, en moyenne, contrairement aux variations de précipitation. Lorsqu’on désagrège par produits, des effets négatifs et positifs surviennent, mais les effets négatifs dominent pour la température, en particulier pour les produits agricoles et manufacturiers, notamment l’industrie textile et la métallurgie, ce qui peut s’expliquer par des effets transitant par la productivité du travail. Les variations de précipitation ont aussi un impact hétérogène, mais avec un effet positif dominant. Les résultats suggèrent en outre que le changement climatique affecte les avantages comparatifs révélés des pays, en particulier pour les produits les plus sensibles au climat.Le second chapitre étudie l’impact du changement climatique sur les migrations entre les états indiens en 1991 et 2001. L’utilisation des données de recensement pour ces deux années permet d’étudier l’effet du climat précédant la migration. Des indicateurs météorologiques basés sur un « Indice de Précipitation Standardisé » (SPI) permettent de mesurer la fréquence, la durée et l’intensité des épisodes de sécheresse, ainsi qu’un excès éventuel de précipitations. Les résultats montrent que la fréquence des sécheresses augmente les taux de migrations au départ de l’état affecté. Cet impact est particulièrement fort pour les états agricoles. Les trois principaux canaux par lesquels transite l’effet des sècheresses sont le revenu moyen, l’agriculture et l’urbanisation des états.Le dernier chapitre quantifie l’impact du climat et de l’urbanisation sur le taux de prévalence de la dengue au sein des états brésiliens, sur la période 1992-2012. Les résultats mettent en évidence un impact positif du taux d’humidité de l’air sur la dengue, ainsi qu’une relation en cloche associant la température et la dengue. Par ailleurs, une augmentation de la densité de population de 1 % est associée à une hausse moyenne de la dengue de 2,5 à 3 %. Un meilleur accès à l’eau potable et une meilleure gestion des déchets diminuent en revanche l’incidence de la dengue. Un modèle à équations simultanées permet par ailleurs de montrer qu’il existe une causalité circulaire entre le revenu des ménages et la dengue. D’un côté, une hausse de 10 % de la part de la population touchée par la dengue y occasionne une baisse de 0,16 % du revenu moyen. De l’autre, cette baisse est associée à une plus grande prévalence de la dengue. / In this dissertation, I study the impact of climate change on several economic outcomes, mainly on international trade, migration, and on vector-borne diseases. In the first chapter, I investigate the relationship between weather variations and bilateral trade flows at the country, sectoral and product levels, worldwide, and over the 1992-2014 period. I find a negative effect of temperature variations on bilateral trade at the country level. At the product level, both negative and positive effects arise, but the negative effect dominates. The effects are on the agricultural and manufacturing sectors, especially in the textile and metals sectors. Possible channels are the effect of temperature on output and labour productivity. Precipitation variations have also an effect on the product level, with the positive effect dominating for the affected products. The results suggest that weather variations also affect bilateral revealed comparative advantages, mainly for the weather sensitive products that I identify in the analysis. Moving to a long term analysis, the results suggest that temperature in the exporter country has a persistent effect that lasts several years. Furthermore, adaptation to climate change does not seem to changes the negative effects of temperature. The second chapter combines climate data with migration data from the 1991 and 2001 Indian Censuses to investigate the impact of climate variability on internal migration. The use of census data makes it possible to test and compare the effect on migration of climatic factors prior to migration. Relevant meteorological indicators of climate variability are used to measure the frequency, duration and magnitude of drought and excess precipitation based on the Standardized Precipitation Index. The estimation results show that drought frequency in the origin state increases inter-state migration in India. This effect is stronger in agricultural states, and in such states the magnitude of drought also increases inter-state migration significantly. Drought frequency has the strongest effect on rural-rural inter-state migration. In the third chapter, I measure the impact of weather and urbanization characteristics on dengue prevalence in Brazilian states during the 1992-2012 period. I find a positive effect of vapour pressure and a hump-shaped relationship between temperature and dengue. The results show that an increase in population density is likely to increase the dengue prevalence. Higher access to drinking water and waste management systems decrease dengue incidence. Additionally, higher immigration rates coming from states with high dengue incidence, increase the dengue prevalence in the destination state. Using a simultaneous equation model, I measure the double causality between household wage income and dengue prevalence. On the one hand, results show that, on average, a 10% increase in dengue rates is associated with a 0.16% decrease of household wage income. On the other hand, lower average household wage income is associated with a higher dengue rate.

The diploma thesis deals with the logistics concept in a selected company with a focus on distribution channels in international trade. The theoretical part of the work is focused on clarifying the concepts that are related to the issue. The analytical part is focused on the analysis of distribution with a focus on distribution channels to the individual countries in which it operates. In the last part of the work, based on the obtained and analyzed data, own proposals for solving the identified shortcomings are proposed.

The transportation of containerized shipments will continue to be a topic of interest in the world because it is the primary method for shipping cargo globally. The primary objective of this study is to analyze the impact of the Panama Canal Expansion (PCE) on the trade flows of containerized shipments between the United States and its trade partners for US exports and imports. The results show that the Panama Canal Expansion would affect the trade flows of US imports and exports significantly. The major findings are as follows: (1) the PCE affects not only US domestic trade flows, but also international trade flows since inland transportation and ocean transportation are interactive, (2) delay cost and toll rate at the Panama Canal do not have a significant impact on trade volume and flows of US containerized shipments after the Panama Canal Expansion mainly because delay cost and toll rate at the canal account for a small portion of the total transportation costs after the PCE, (3) West Coast ports would experience negative effects and East Coast ports would experience positive effects from the PCE, while Gulf ports would experience no effects from the PCE, and (4) an optimal toll rate is inconclusive in this study because changes in toll rate at the canal account for a small portion of the total transportation costs and the PNC competes with shipments to/from Asia shipping to the US West. / Mountain Plains Consortium (MPC) / U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)