Review of Maritime Transport 2007

The 2007 edition of the Review of Maritime Transport gives a detailed account of the main developments affecting world seaborne trade, freight markets and rates, ports, surface transport, logistics services and world fleet-related issues, including ownership, control, age, tonnage supply and productivity.

The Review contains a chapter on legal and regulatory developments as well as a regional chapter that focuses on Asia.

Key developments reported in the 2007 edition include:

• In 2006, world seaborne trade (goods loaded) increased by 4.3 per cent to reach 7.4 billion tons.
• At the beginning of 2007, the world fleet broke the 1 billion deadweight tons (dwt) mark for the first time to reach 1.04 billion dwt after expanding by an impressive 8.6 per cent. Developed countries controlled 65.9 per cent of the world total, with developing countries and economies in transition controlling 31.2 per cent and 2.9 per cent, respectively.
• At the beginning of 2007, the average age of the world fleet fell marginally to 12 years. Containerships represented the youngest fleet with an average of 9.1 years.
• According to the latest data available for 2005, global freight costs represented 5.9 per cent of the value of world imports. Developing countries and countries with economies in transition continued to bear the brunt of high transport costs.
• In 2006, world container port throughput increased by 13.4 per cent to reach 440 million TEUs. Developing countries handled 65 per cent of this total. International rail freight transport also expanded, led by growth in China and India, while the global road transport market grew by 4.5 per cent.
• Important regulatory developments in 2007 include the resumption of negotiations on trade facilitation at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the adoption of the new International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
• Relevant developments in the field of transport and supply chain security include those under the auspices of the World Customs Organization (WCO) and IMO. In 2007, for the first time, UNCTAD published data on the costs associated with compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS).