In their modern meaning, commercial ports are nodes within logistics chains that include a maritime transport segment, enabling the modal exchange of goods and passengers between ships and land transport modes such as rail and road. To fulfill their mission, ports provide shelter and protection for vessels, as well as the exchange of cargo and passengers—services that originally justified their existence. However, they also offer additional services such as cargo handling, storage, administrative control, logistics, and more, as a result of the evolution of international trade and transportation.

The objective of this course is to understand what port services are, how they are managed, and their importance not only in port activity but also in supply chains that include a maritime transport segment.

This general objective is divided into the following specific objectives:

• Introduce the basic principles of port management
• Identify the main port customers and stakeholders that make up the Port Community
• Understand what port services are and how they are classified
• Learn about the different management models for port services
• Gain a general understanding of the impact of port tariffs on port costs

Each of these objectives is developed in a separate topic. At the beginning of each topic, the specific objective is outlined.