The vast majority of cargo in Europe is transported by land. Roads are used to move about 70% of all goods transported on land (Wiegmans ET AL., 2018). Over the past few years, there has been an increase in the variety and volume of goods shipped to and from Europe, necessitating a greater variety of modes of transportation for these goods to be transported in bulk. Roads carry more than 75% of the freight in Europe, while rail only accepts about 18% of it (Islam, 2018). Domestically and internationally, the freight traffic on European roads has significantly increased.
In recent years, the amount of cargo that airports move has slightly increased. On the other hand, maritime ports process about 3,739,000,000 metric tons of cargo each year (Wiegmans et al., 2018). The movement of goods within Europe is controlled by inland waterways, while seaports are necessary for international carriers. The vast majority of the freight moved in Europe, or about 3.5 million tons, is transported by rail (Wiegmans et al., 2018). Exporting goods across Europe has been significantly facilitated by developing short-haul cross-border freight alliances among European nations.
Twenty-eight European countries collaborate in political, ecological, and economic matters, forming the European Union. The EU is responsible for developing rules and regulations that authenticate competition for competent internal market operations. The United States and Canada dominate North America and connect with Europe to solidify their political, economic, and environmental ties, which transatlantic associations greatly reflect. A primary constituent of trade is logistics, also known as transport systems. Freight business refers to transporting trade goods over air, land, and waterways for a long distance with the aim of international trade. There is a conscious difference between transport systems in Europe and North America based on policies, regulations, and political aspects.
National governments and the European Union’s policies and decisions significantly impact European trade. The governments of each European country collaborate with the European Commission to develop and implement their cross-border trade policies (Islam, 2018). European countries import and export to countries inside and outside the European Union and do business on a regional and international scale. Seaports handle the majority of freight transport, with airports taking only a tiny portion of the total.
However, there are some significant differences between European and North American freight transport. Unlike in Europe, the United States, Mexico, and Canada all have extensive rail networks, making rail travel a viable option for traveling throughout North America. Because of North America’s comprehensive road system, most cargo is shipped this way. Trucks have become the most popular mode of transport for moving goods across borders, domestically and internationally, in recent years. In contrast to Europe, North America has river-based waterways rather than inland seas or lakes. Inland waterways are not exactly clogged with freight, but a significant amount of cargo is moved that way (Lozzi et al., 2018). Numerous seaports on the North American continent serve as international cargo shipping hubs. Most shipment traveling to and from Europe, Asia, and Africa transits through US seaports. Because North American airlines were not designed to transport freight, very little cargo has been recorded as being transported by air.
Contrary to Europe, where a regulatory body develops trade policies, trade within North America is primarily influenced by national government policies and intergovernmental agreements. The policies of the various countries involved govern freight transportation across international borders.
Seaports are growing to accommodate containers due to an increase in maritime transport caused by the demand for raw materials in Europe and North America (Lozzi et al., 2018). More pipelines are being built in response to rising oil consumption to transport the substance from one place to another with the most negligible environmental impact and at the lowest cost per unit of cargo moved. Cargo handling by airlines is also expanding quickly, which helps the industry as a whole. The trend of cargo moving away from more traditional forms of transportation and toward more contemporary ones like air travel will need to be closely monitored.
References
Islam, D. M. Z. (2018). Prospects for European sustainable rail freight transport during economic austerity. Benchmarking: An International Journal. Web.
Lozzi, G., Gatta, V., & Marcucci, E. (2018). European urban freight transport policies and research funding: are priorities and H2020 calls aligned? Region: the journal of ERSA, 5(1), 53-71. Web.
Wiegmans, B., Champagne-Gelinas, A., Duchesne, S., Slack, B., & Witte, P. (2018). Rail and road freight transport network efficiency of Canada, member states of the EU, and the USA. Research in Transportation Business & Management, 28, 54-65. Web.