Cargo transport hub hopes dim

Greece's potential to become an international trade hub remains untapped, as despite the spectacular performance of the port of Piraeus in recent years in terms of container transit, and to a lesser extent the port of Thessaloniki, there is a shortage of infrastructure for combined transport, such as major highways and a modern rail network, according to a study published yesterday.

The Center of Planning and Economic Research (KEPE) also found that the liberalization of the freight truck sector attempted with the opening up of closed-shop professions in 2010 has not fetched the desired results.

KEPE's study showed that the Piraeus container terminal, managed by China's Cosco, enjoyed 336 percent growth in traffic from 2010 to 2014, against an increase of 117 percent in the same period at the Belgian port of Antwerp and an average growth rate of 39 percent for Cosco...