International trade and transportation: an introduction

International trade has grown rapidly over the past half-century, which the transportation industry has accommodated through concomitant growth and technological change. But, while the connection between transport and trade flows is clear, the academic literature often looks at these two issues (international trade and transport) separately. This Handbook reviews the key concepts in each of these two literatures, while providing new insights into the intersection between them, including such topics as trade facilitation, trade networks, and the role of transport costs in offshoring, foreign investment location, and the role of intermediary firms. Each chapter points to where further study is needed and provides ideas for future research.