EVALUATING KEY RISK FACTORS AFFECTING CARGO DAMAGES ON EXPORT OPERATIONS FOR CONTAINER CARRIERS IN TAIWAN

Abstract

The main purpose of this article is to apply the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method to analyse key risk factors affecting cargo damages on export operations for container shipping carriers in Taiwan. Based on the literature and experts’ opinions, a hierarchical structure with three risk aspects and eleven risk factors was constructed. We then applied the AHP procedure and AHP experts’ questionnaires to evaluate the key risk factors. The empirical results showed that: (1) ‘Shipping proxy phase’ is the most important aspect affecting cargo damages on export operations for container shipping carriers in Taiwan. (2) In order of relative importance, the top four key risk factors are “shipper’s concealed items have not been reported,” “inappropriate cargo packaging,” “insecure fixation between the container and ship deck,” and “error in printed documents.” Furthermore, some recommendations concerning effective risk management strategies and advices are provided for container shipping carriers.