Desafios e soluções para o desenvolvimento competitivo da cabotagem no transporte de cargas no Ceará

Abstract

A proper configuration of cargo transportation and modal integration maximizes results and minimizes expenses and resources, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness of the transport system, which is an important indicator of logistics performance. In Brazil, the Road Transport accounts for more than half of the total cargo transported although it is not the most suitable for most types of loads and routes. To move over long distances and large loads of weights and volumes there are most appropriate modes such as railway and cabotage transport. The marine cabotage has comparative advantages due to its economic, social and environmental benefits. However, coast shipping faces barriers that increase costs and delay the planned volumes. Thus, from the focus on competitiveness, it was evaluated the main factors that contribute to the competitive development of cabotage in the movement of containerized cargo, which are not explored in their entirety as well as the obstacles and the industry's problems. In order to contribute to the cargo transport and encourage the use of coastal shipping, this research analyzes the national cabotage with application to the Ceará case. For the elaboration of this research it was used the inductive method, nothing especially since the resurgence of coastal shipping in Brazil from the 90's and the increased use of containers, which contributed to the standardization of port facilities and ships, boosting shipping. The research is characterized by methodological term as descriptive and bibliographical. It was used the ''Coutinho e Ferraz (1995)'' competitiveness model as a methodology for evaluation of the key determinants of competitiveness for the sustainable development of coastal shipping. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with stakeholders focusing on the coastal shipping offer in Ceará in order to deepen the study, with an analysis of the results. The initial study confirms that in addition to the comparative advantages of coastal shipping, cabotage is considered as natural vocation of the country whose potential makes it possible to install a balanced transportation network with greater participation of the waterway mode. However, the competitive development requires not only the resource availability, but efficiency and effectiveness in the use thereof. The changing profile of Brazilian cargo transportation requires to overcome some difficulties. The results show that the determinants of greater interference in the sector are structural and systemic factors that are related to extrinsic aspects of the mode. The recommendations identified in the study should serve as a guide to encourage short sea shipping that requires some actions: tax and fiscal incentives and political; expansion of port infrastructure and superstructure; cutting red tape for release of cargo and than to get greater professionalization of the employees from port and maritime base.