Evaluating the impact of ECA policy on sulfur emissions from the five busiest ports in America based on difference in difference model

With the accelerated growth of global trade, the shipping industry has experienced substantial expansion due to its reliability and cost-effectiveness in facilitating globalization. However, the environmental consequences of this rapid development, particularly pollution emissions, have garnered inc...

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Main Authors: Guangnian Xiao, Caleb Amamoo-Otoo, Tian Wang, Qingjun Li, Salvatore Antonio Biancardo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Marine Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1609261/full
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author Guangnian Xiao
Caleb Amamoo-Otoo
Tian Wang
Qingjun Li
Salvatore Antonio Biancardo
author_facet Guangnian Xiao
Caleb Amamoo-Otoo
Tian Wang
Qingjun Li
Salvatore Antonio Biancardo
author_sort Guangnian Xiao
collection DOAJ
description With the accelerated growth of global trade, the shipping industry has experienced substantial expansion due to its reliability and cost-effectiveness in facilitating globalization. However, the environmental consequences of this rapid development, particularly pollution emissions, have garnered increasing attention. Sulfur dioxide has drawn more attention than other shipping pollutants due to its serious negative effects on health. America has three delimited emission control areas to limit sulfur emissions from ships and to enhance the quality of air in America’s coastal areas. This paper uses the difference in difference (DID) model to assess the sulfur emissions in the five busiest ports in America and check whether the emission control area (ECA) policy has a positive significant effect in decreasing the sulfur dioxide emission in the five busiest ports in America. The variables used for this study are sulfur emissions, gross domestic products, imports, exports, inflation rate as well as throughput for each of the five ports. The research results indicate that sulfur emission policies have no significant positive impact on ports other than the Port of Los Angeles, as many regulations have been developed to reduce the adverse effects of ship pollution emissions before the implementation of sulfur regulations.
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language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
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series Frontiers in Marine Science
spelling doaj-art-6538c4c87fa843de9eb5cb25c09f0cd52025-08-20T02:56:48ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452025-08-011210.3389/fmars.2025.16092611609261Evaluating the impact of ECA policy on sulfur emissions from the five busiest ports in America based on difference in difference modelGuangnian Xiao0Caleb Amamoo-Otoo1Tian Wang2Qingjun Li3Salvatore Antonio Biancardo4School of Economics and Management, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai, ChinaInstitute of Logistics Science and Engineering, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai, ChinaInstitute of Logistics Science and Engineering, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai, ChinaSchool of Tianrui Maglev Industry, Weifang University, Weifang, Shandong, ChinaSchool of Polytechnic & Basic Science, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, ItalyWith the accelerated growth of global trade, the shipping industry has experienced substantial expansion due to its reliability and cost-effectiveness in facilitating globalization. However, the environmental consequences of this rapid development, particularly pollution emissions, have garnered increasing attention. Sulfur dioxide has drawn more attention than other shipping pollutants due to its serious negative effects on health. America has three delimited emission control areas to limit sulfur emissions from ships and to enhance the quality of air in America’s coastal areas. This paper uses the difference in difference (DID) model to assess the sulfur emissions in the five busiest ports in America and check whether the emission control area (ECA) policy has a positive significant effect in decreasing the sulfur dioxide emission in the five busiest ports in America. The variables used for this study are sulfur emissions, gross domestic products, imports, exports, inflation rate as well as throughput for each of the five ports. The research results indicate that sulfur emission policies have no significant positive impact on ports other than the Port of Los Angeles, as many regulations have been developed to reduce the adverse effects of ship pollution emissions before the implementation of sulfur regulations.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1609261/fullship emissionssulfur emissionsemission control areadifference in difference modelport
spellingShingle Guangnian Xiao
Caleb Amamoo-Otoo
Tian Wang
Qingjun Li
Salvatore Antonio Biancardo
Evaluating the impact of ECA policy on sulfur emissions from the five busiest ports in America based on difference in difference model
Frontiers in Marine Science
ship emissions
sulfur emissions
emission control area
difference in difference model
port
title Evaluating the impact of ECA policy on sulfur emissions from the five busiest ports in America based on difference in difference model
title_full Evaluating the impact of ECA policy on sulfur emissions from the five busiest ports in America based on difference in difference model
title_fullStr Evaluating the impact of ECA policy on sulfur emissions from the five busiest ports in America based on difference in difference model
title_full_unstemmed Evaluating the impact of ECA policy on sulfur emissions from the five busiest ports in America based on difference in difference model
title_short Evaluating the impact of ECA policy on sulfur emissions from the five busiest ports in America based on difference in difference model
title_sort evaluating the impact of eca policy on sulfur emissions from the five busiest ports in america based on difference in difference model
topic ship emissions
sulfur emissions
emission control area
difference in difference model
port
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1609261/full
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