Productivity of the world fleet and supply and demand in world shipping

This chapter provides information on the operational productivity of the world fleet and an analysis of the balance between supply and demand for tonnage and container carrying capacity. Key indicators are the comparison of cargo generation and fleet ownership, tons of cargo carried and ton-miles performed per deadweight ton, and the analysis of tonnage oversupply in the main shipping market sectors. The thousands of ton-miles per dwt of oil tankers decreased from 34.2 in 2006 to 32.5 in 2007, while the corresponding figure for dry bulk carriers increased slightly from 28.8 to 29.5. The productivity of the residual fleet, including container and general cargo ships, decreased from 36 to 33.1. In 2007, containership operators have tended to reduce the service speeds of their vessels, thus saving fuel in response to high oil prices, albeit reducing the fleet's productivity.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure