Journal of International Logistics and Trade
Jungseok Research Institute of International Logistics and Trade
ARTICLE

Global Flows, Local Hubs, Platforms and Corridors; Regional and Economic Integration in Northeast Asia

Peter J. Rimmer*
1Peter J. Rimmer is Emeritus Professor and Visiting Fellow, Division of Pacific and Asian History, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia and Adjunct Professor of Urban Development and Housing, Centre for Developing Cities, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
*Corresponding author: Peter J. Rimmer is Emeritus Professor and Visiting Fellow, Division of Pacific and Asian History, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia and Adjunct Professor of Urban Development and Housing, Centre for Developing Cities, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia. e-mail: pjrimmer@actewagl.net.au

© Copyright 2004 Jungseok Research Institute of International Logistics and Trade. This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Published Online: Jun 30, 2004

ABSTRACT

Toyota’s internationally coordinated production system in Asia and its selection of supply bases in South America and South Africa highlights the significance of recognizing global network firms and the global hub-and-spoke logistics system that has been developed to meet their needs. This system underpins the expansion of container shipping, air freight and telecommunications. Recognition of Main Street, linking Europe, Asia and North America with cul-desacs in Africa, Australasia and Central and South America, provides a framework for examining the relative importance of the system’s hubs and terminals across different modes and regions. This analysis provides the basis for identifying and ranking key regional logistics platforms in Northeast Asia and their attraction as headquarter sites for global network firms. Examining the logistical situation pertaining after the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s and a decade later is used to gauge progress towards regional economic integration in Northeast Asia.

Keywords: Air Freight; Air Passenger; Container Shipping; Global Logistics; Global Network Corporations; Hub-and-Spoke System; Internet; Regional Logistical Platforms and Corridors