Any port in a storm: Impacts of new port infrastructure on exporter behaviour

This paper investigates the impact of port infrastructure on exporter behaviour, focusing on the opening of a competing inland port within Auckland. We model adoption of the new facilities among local firms, and test the impacts of uptake on future export growth. We find that the determinants of uptake are product- and firm-related, rather than location-specific. Firms use the new infrastructure in conjunction with the existing port to mitigate capacity constraints and/or access a greater range of transport options. However, we find no significant effect of the port’s introduction on firms’ subsequent export performance.