Productivity Commission review into Australia’s maritime logistics system

The Morrison Government has tasked the Productivity Commission with undertaking an independent review into long‑term structural issues affecting the productivity of Australia’s maritime logistics system.

While the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission found global factors were a significant contributor to rising shipping costs and delays, through this review the Government will ensure that domestic issues are not compounding the problems caused by supply chain disruptions under surging global demand for goods since the start of the COVID‑19 Pandemic.

The Productivity Commission’s review will examine any long-term domestic trends, focussing on operational cost drivers, including industrial relations, infrastructure constraints and technology uptake in Australia’s ports and related transport networks in order to assess the overall competitiveness of Australia’s ports.

The inquiry complements earlier work by the Productivity Commission on supply chain vulnerabilities and risks as part the Government’s commitment to ensuring the Australian economy is prepared for any possible supply chain disruptions. The report will also build on a range of initiatives undertaken by the Morrison Government to help ensure supply chains remain functioning and resilient including throughout the COVID‑19 pandemic, including the provision of $107.2 million for the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative and the Sovereign Manufacturing Capability Plan.

The Productivity Commission will begin consultation in January 2022 and provide a final report in August 2022.

For further information, including terms of reference, is available on Productivity Commission's website.