Vulnerability of international freight flows to shipping network disruptions: A multiplex network perspective

As freight flows through global supply chains intensify, dependence upon maritime transportation increases. This paper explores the risks that international freight flows are exposed to as a function of the multiple complex structure of liner shipping networks. Based on network modelling of over 80 networks and simulation of attacks to seven strategic nodes in the Americas, the paper shows that the vulnerability of international freight flows to disruptions in maritime transportation services varies according to the country of origin of such flows and the role that the country plays in the multi-layered maritime transportation network.