The government approved the proposal by Transportation Minister Miri Regev to promote the establishment of land ports in Israel.
This is a broad-based strategic move led by the minister, designed to reduce the cost of living, streamline the supply chain, and reduce congestion at seaports.
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As part of the decision, the government authorized the Israel Ports Company to carry out all the necessary actions to prepare for the establishment of land ports, including identifying locations, examining feasibility, and formulating operational and economic models.
What is a land port?
This is an advanced logistics complex that operates as an extension of a seaport, but is located deep inland and connected to it by advanced transportation infrastructure, thus enabling a faster and more efficient flow of goods. The inland port carries out unloading, storage, customs clearance and distribution of goods, in a way that reduces the burden on seaports, which are limited in area and are primarily intended for loading and unloading goods.
The inland port model has been successfully implemented in many ports around the world, including Duisburg in Germany, which serves as a logistics center connected to the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp; in the United States, inland ports operate in Texas and Georgia, among other places; and in India and China, extensive networks of inland ports have been developed as part of an advanced trade system.
The move led by Minister Regev is expected to bring about a significant change in Israel's logistics structure: transferring some of the activity from seaports to internal hubs will reduce congestion, shorten transportation times, and reduce operating costs - key components that directly affect consumer product prices.
As part of the decision, the Israel Ports Company will promote the identification of locations for the establishment of land ports, examining transportation and operational feasibility, as well as formulating economic, financial and operational models, in accordance with the professional characterization of the Ministry of Transportation.
Professional tests conducted by the Ministry of Transportation indicate that inland ports are expected to reduce heavy loads at seaports and on roads, reduce truck traffic, and increase the overall efficiency of the economy.
