European Trade Study Group (ETSG) Twenty Third Annual Conference, Groningen, Netherlands, 8 - 10 September 2022, pp.1-32
We quantify the effects of destination-, firm-, and product-specific factors on the container choice in Turkish maritime exports. Using micro level data, we show that containerization in Turkish maritime exports increases when exporting to long distance, to an island and/or to a country having efficient maritime connectivity, but decreases when exporting to a high-income country or if there is a trade agreement between trade partners. Heavy and low unit valued products are more likely to be exported in containers. Firms tend to choose containerization if they have high export volumes, have high employment-output-productivity level, and export large number of products. Finally, ports are identified as one of the most important and deterministic factors in choosing container vessels over bulk carriers.