Unraveling the Asymmetric Impact of Pandemic Uncertainty on Maritime Crimes: A Comparative Analysis of Ten Maritime Nations

Abstract

In the wake of global pandemic uncertainty, maritime domains have become turbulent waters, witnessing an asymmetric surge in criminal activities. This study navigates these treacherous seas, unveiling the asymmetric influence of pandemic-induced uncertainty on maritime crimes in 10 selected maritime countries (the United States, China, Somalia, Singapore, Brazil, India, Greece, Nigeria, Australia, and Russia). These economies provide diverse maritime contexts, from major global shipping hubs to regions known for piracy and maritime insecurity. Preceding research has primarily applied panel data tools to explore the link between pandemic uncertainty and maritime crimes, without considering the unique characteristics of individual countries. The current research applied the “quantile-on-quantile” technique to assess the individual interconnection of every nation. This method enhanced the precision of our analysis, providing a comprehensive worldwide perspective while yielding specific perceptions for every country. Annual data for the pandemic uncertainty index and maritime crimes were taken for the years 1996 to 2022. The findings revealed a significant increase in maritime-related criminal activities linked to pandemic uncertainty across numerous quantile levels within most selected nations. Moreover, our results emphasized the differing trends of these connections among the nations. These findings accentuate the importance of policy makers governing through measurements and executing efficient policies to tackle variations in both pandemic uncertainty and maritime crimes.