Greek shipping continues to dominate the seas of the world, according to the figures of the United Nations Trade and Development Commission (UNCTAD) that were made public yesterday afternoon.
THE Greek-owned fleet with 4,992 ships and a total carrying capacity of 394,977,181 dwt maintains the first position globally with a 16.9% share in dwt terms, with the Chinese fleet following with 6,600 ships and a carrying capacity of 309,870,897 dwt and a 13.3% share.
Greek shipping: The share of the fleet
The UNCTAD figures refer to the picture of the global fleet on January 1, 2024. Compared to 2023, the share of the Greek-owned fleet decreased slightly as the previous year it was 17.4%. The share of the Chinese fleet also saw a small decrease, which was 13.4%.
It should be noted that the Greek-owned fleet is constantly growing and renewed, is energy efficient and equipped with state-of-the-art environmental systems. It is already the largest fleet with the capacity to use alternative fuels in the world, as the Hellenic Shipowners’ Association stated in its annual report.
The top five countries with the largest fleet are completed by Japan with a share of 10.4%, Singapore with 6.3% and Hong Kong with 5.8%.
At the beginning of 2024, the global fleet consisted of approximately 109,000 ships (including cargo and non-cargo vessels), each weighing at least 100 gross tons (gt).
Global fleet capacity grew by 3.4%, slightly higher than 3.2% in 2022. However, this growth rate is lower than the average of 5.2% recorded in the period 2005-2023, which due to the rapid expansion of the fleet during the period 2005-2012.
Fleet growth was uneven in 2023, with containership capacity jumping nearly 8% and LNG carrier capacity rising 6.4%. Tanker growth remained subdued, growing by less than 2%. The total capacity of the global fleet reached approximately 2.4 billion deadweight tonnes (dwt), with bulkers making up 42.7% and tankers 28.3% of the total.
Meanwhile UNCTAD estimates that global maritime trade will grow by 2% this year and average 2.4% annually until 2029. It says these numbers are in line with global economic forecasts and reverse a decline seen in 2023.
However, he warns that the downside risk is high for this medium-term forecast, as geopolitical conflicts and the effects of the climate crisis highlighted in previous years by the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and the drought in the Panama Canal, negatively affect the world trade.
UNCTAD said growth will be driven by dry bulk and containerships thanks to demand for bauxite, coal, containers, grain and iron ore, while oil will also play a role.
Source: ot.gr
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