Reading about the effects of the port and the warehouse on the front page, made me wonder if Ansdreas Seafarth's excellent board game "Puerto Rico" has influenced this game somewhat?

Colonization was released in 1994 i used to play it alot way way back.

The warehouse seems too work alot like it used to do in the original but the dock seems to have changed for this new version if so then that part might be .

Puerot rico was released in 2002
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3076
Good game btw i play it a few times a year still :)