Jahresbericht 2009 - Gesellschaft für Maritime Technik eV

Flottenkommando Fakten und Zahlen 2009
1.6.4 Sea-Borne World Trade and World Merchant Fleet
In 2008, the global economy was dominated by the worldwide property and financial crisis. In
particular the latter had an enormous influence on growth in the second half of the year. In
2008, an economic growth of 1.7% was recorded. However, this is only half the growth rate
recorded in 2007, and WTO forecasts for 2009 do not raise any hopes for improvement. On the
contrary, the World Trade Organization predicts that growth will shrink by 1 – 2% this year. In
2008, the figures were the poorest since 2001, being significantly below the 10-year annual
average of 2.9%.
Against the background of the worst financial crisis since the 1930s, the sudden drop in
global production that was recorded at the end of 2008 has serious impacts on world trade. In
2008, world trade grew by 2.0% only. In 2007, it was still 6.0%. This means that growth
remains below the last ten years’ average of 5.7%. For 2009, however, the WTO reckons world
trade will shrink by 9%; as regards exports, up to –10% are expected in some areas.
2008
2006
2004
2002
1998
1990
Global Sea Trade
7.745
7.572
6.982
6.784
6.542
6.133
5.820
5.434
in Mio. t
5073
4.687
3.977
In general, 95% of the global longdistance
goods traffic is by sea. 90%
of the foreign trade and more than
40% of the domestic trade in the EU-
27 countries is handled via sea routes.
In this context the supply of raw
materials, above all crude oil, is of
major importance for the
industrialized nations: the transport of
crude oil (1.80 million tons) accounts
for some 23% of the sea-borne
world-trade amounting to 7.745
billion tons.
After all, in 2008, well over 34.8% of the world’s primary energy demand was met by mineral
oil. And as the global economy will stabilize, the demand for sea transport capacities, in
particular tankers and container carriers will rise as well. In the course of 2008, the available
tonnage of the world’s merchant
fleet rose by 6.8% to 1,153.3 million
dwt. The lion’s share of the world’s
merchant fleet tonnage is provided
by the crude oil tankers at 36.3% (418
million dwt), followed by the bulk
carriers at 35.9% (414.4 million dwt).
At the beginning of 2009 the world’s
merchant fleet also comprised 4,639
container carriers with a share of
14.0% and 162 million dwt, followed
by the fleet of general cargo ships at
9.3% and 106.8 million dwt.
Loading Capacit y of t he World's Merchant
Fleet
418,0
45,3
106,9
6,8
161,9
414,4
in Mio. t
Chem ical & LNG tankers Tan ker s
Bulk carriers Container carriers
Passen g er sh ip s General cargo ships
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