Factors affecting container choice in Turkish maritime exports: A firm-level analysis

2025-12
Türkcan , Kemal
Saygılı , Hülya
We analyze the impact of destination-, firm-, and product-specific factors on the choice of containerization in Turkish maritime exports, using micro-level data. We find that containerization increases when exporting over long distances, to an island, or to a country with efficient maritime connectivity. Conversely, containerization decreases when exporting to high income countries or to trade partners with existing trade agreements. Heavy and low-unit valued products are more likely to be exported in containers. Firms are more likely to choose containerization if they have high export volumes, high level of employment, output and productivity level, and export a large number of products. Finally, the departure port is one of the most important factors influencing the choice of container vessels over bulk carriers.
Citation Formats
K. Türkcan and H. Saygılı, “Factors affecting container choice in Turkish maritime exports: A firm-level analysis,” ODTÜ Gelişme Dergisi, vol. 52, no. 2, pp. 421–452, 2025, Accessed: 00, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/metusd/article/1716973.