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Abstract
This paper presents various measures of a port’s optimum throughput to which its actual
throughput can be compared in order to evaluate its performance. A port’s engineering optimum
throughput is its maximum (technically efficient) throughput that physically can be handled by
the port under certain conditions. A port’s economic optimum throughput is that throughput that
satisfies an economic objective. It may be either an economic: (1) technically efficient optimum
throughput (based upon the port’s economic production function), (2) cost efficient optimum
throughput (based upon the port’s economic cost function) or (3) effectiveness optimum
throughput (based upon the port’s effectiveness operating objective such as maximizing profits).