Marteau, Jean-FrançoisArvis, Jean-FrançoisRaballand, Gael2012-06-072012-06-072007-06https://hdl.handle.net/10986/7420A large proportion of the least developed countries are landlocked and their access to world markets depends on the availability of a trade corridor and transit systems. Based on empirical evidence from World Bank projects and assessments in Africa, Central Asia, and elsewhere, this paper proposes a microeconomic quantitative description of logistics costs. The paper theoretically and empirically highlights that landlocked economies are primarily affected not only by a high cost of freight services but also by the high degree of unpredictability in transportation time. The main sources of costs are not only physical constraints but widespread rent activities and severe flaws in the implementation of the transit systems, which prevent the emergence of reliable logistics services. The business and donor community should push toward implementation of comprehensive facilitation strategies, primarily at the national level, and the design of robust and resilient transport and transit regimes. A better understanding of the political economy of transit and a review of the implementation successes and failures in this area are needed.CC BY 3.0 IGOACCESSIBILITYAIRAIR CARGOAIR CARGO RATESAIRCRAFTAIRPORTSAVERAGE FLEET AGEBARGESBENCHMARKBONDSBORDER CROSSINGBOTTLENECKSCARGO INSURANCECARTELCIFCOMMODITYCOMPETITIVENESSCONTAINERSCOST OF TRANSPORTATIONCOSTS OF TRANSPORTATIONCROSSINGCUSTOMSCUSTOMS CLEARANCECUSTOMS PROCEDURESDELIVERY SCHEDULESDEMAND FOR TRANSITDEMURRAGEDEREGULATIONDEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCEDISECONOMIES OF SCALEDOMESTIC TRANSPORTDRIVERSEAST EUROPEECONOMIC GEOGRAPHYEXCESS SUPPLYEXPORTSEXTERNALITIESFIXED COSTSFORWARDINGFORWARDING FEESFREIGHTFREIGHT COSTSFREIGHT FORWARDERSFREIGHT PAYMENTSFREIGHT RATESFREIGHT SERVICESFUELGATTGDPGROWTH THEORIESHANDLINGHIGH FUEL CONSUMPTIONIMPACT OF TRANSPORTINDUSTRIAL ECONOMIESINFORMAL TRANSPORTINFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENTINFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTSINTERNATIONAL TRADEINTERNATIONAL TRANSITINVENTORIESINVENTORYLANDLOCKED COUNTRIESLDCSLOGISTICS CHAINLOGISTICS COSTSMARITIME TRANSPORTMODAL CHOICESMODE OF TRANSPORTATIONMODERN TRANSPORTMULTIMODAL TRANSPORTNEGATIVE EXTERNALITIESPOLITICAL ECONOMYPORT OF ENTRYRAILRAIL COMPANIESRAIL OPERATORSRAIL TRANSITRAIL TRANSPORTRAILWAYRAILWAYSREGIONAL TRANSPORTRENT SEEKINGROADROAD CONDITIONSROAD CONSTRUCTIONROAD QUALITYROAD TOLLSROAD TRANSPORTROAD TRANSPORT MARKETROAD USERROAD USER CHARGESROUTEROUTESSHIPMENTSSHIPPERSSHIPPINGSHIPSSTORAGE FACILITIESSUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENTSURFACE FREIGHTTIRESTOLLTOLL ROADSTRADE FACILITATIONTRAFFICTRANSITTRANSIT COUNTRIESTRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURETRANSIT OPERATIONSTRANSIT PERFORMANCETRANSIT POLICYTRANSIT SYSTEMTRANSIT SYSTEMSTRANSIT TRADETRANSIT VEHICLESTRANSPORTTRANSPORT CHARGESTRANSPORT CORRIDORSTRANSPORT COSTTRANSPORT COSTSTRANSPORT FACILITATIONTRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURETRANSPORT MODESTRANSPORT OPERATIONSTRANSPORT OPERATORSTRANSPORT SERVICETRANSPORT SERVICESTRANSPORTATIONTRANSPORTATION COSTTRANSPORTATION COSTSTRANSPORTATION SERVICESTRIPTRIPSTRUCK OPERATING COSTSTRUCK USETRUCKSTRUEVARIABLE COSTSVEHICLEVEHICLE FLEETVEHICLE MOVEMENTVEHICLE OPERATINGVEHICLE OPERATING COSTSVEHICLE TAXESVEHICLE USAGEVEHICLESVESSELSWAGESWAITING TIMEWAREHOUSINGWESTERN EUROPEWTOWorld Bank10.1596/1813-9450-4258