Ports have always functioned as loading centres for cargo, and although historically many
ports were pivotal to international trade, many others also failed to sustain their role over
time. Hub ports such as the ports of London after the era of the Industrial Revolution, the
New York port and the port of Kobe in Japan each experienced a downturn of their status
after an impressive debut in international trade. However, to determine the factors which
raise the profiles of ports as centres of international trade and as hubs is not a
straightforward analytical exercise. A major challenge for researchers nowadays is to
pinpoint and analyze the relationship between a port and its region in view of economic
activity. From this perspective, our particular concern in this work is to explore the function
and classification of container ports and port cities in relation to the networks that connect
them inland and outward.