Seaports function as critical nodes within global supply chains, yet the empirical literature linking port performance to macroeconomic spillovers remains conceptually fragmented. This study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) examining how port performance indicators have been empirically associated with macro-level outcomes, including trade, GDP growth, employment, welfare and spatial spillovers. Using a structured protocol across four major academic databases, 199 records were screened, resulting in 38 eligible empirical studies for detailed analysis. An inductive coding framework was developed to classify port performance indicators (operational efficiency, cost efficiency, infrastructure capacity, connectivity, governance, and port-industrial/sustainability models), macroeconomic spillover categories, and methodological families. The findings reveal a strongly trade-centric macroeconomic framing, with trade and export outcomes dominating the literature. Operational/time efficiency and infrastructure capacity emerge as the most frequently examined performance dimensions. In contrast, employment, welfare, governance, sustainability and distributional effects appear less systematically incorporated. Methodologically, gravity-based trade econometrics models dominate, while input–output and general equilibrium approaches remain comparatively limited. The review also highlights a bidirectional research divide, where macroeconomic variables are often modeled both as drivers and outcomes of port performance. Overall, the study maps dominant linkages, identifies underexplored domains, and provides a structured foundation for future port–economy research.

Keywords

Port Performance, Macroeconomic Spillovers, Trade Facilitation, Systematic Literature Review, Applied Thematic Analysis.