Maritime Trade and Transport - HWWI

Intra-EU trade by mode of transport, 2004
If total cargo shipments are measured in ton-kilometers, it becomes evident that sea
and coastal shipping are primarily used within the EU when goods must be transported over
long distances (see Fig. 16). Sea shipping in 2004 thus amounted to a share of 39% of the total
shipments, whereas its share of transport volume in the same year was only 18.1%. If one
considers the fact that in Fig. 15 (as opposed to Fig. 16) a residual amount is listed, after adjusting
the data, the share of sea shipping in transport volume is calculated at 26.7%, which
is still much less than the share of total cargo shipments. Inland waterway transport is also
primarily used to convey goods over long distances. In contrast, pipelines are generally used
for transport over relatively short distances. Accordingly, their share of the 2004 total shipments
was much lower than their share of transport volume.
All told, total cargo shipments for the movement of goods within the EU in the period
between 1995 and 2004 increased by 28% and achieved an average annual growth rate of
2.8%. During the same period, road traffic increased by 35% and was thus able to boost its
market share from 42.1% in 1995 to 44.3% in 2004. The annual growth rate was 3.4%. The
market share of sea traffic was also increased, by 31%, between 1995 and 2004. This was the
equivalent of an annual growth rate of 3%. The greatest growth of all modes of transport,
however, was recorded by air traffic, which increased by 39% between 1995 and 2004. Despite
growth rates of 3.7% per year, however, air traffic was only able to call a market share of
2.5% its own in 2004.
Growth recorded by the other types of carriers (pipelines, inland waterways, and rail
traffic) remained below that of transport of goods as a whole. Particularly weak results here
were shown by rail traffic, with growth of only 0.6% per year. The market share of inland
30 Berenberg Bank · HWWI: Strategy 2030 · No. 4
Intra-EU Trade
Values in Shares Amounts in Shares
mn euros in % mn tons in %
Sea 225.9 11.2% 284.5 18.1%
Road 957.5 47.6% 489.9 31.1%
Rail 72.7 3.6% 96.7 6.1%
Inland waterway 15.4 0.8% 70.3 4.5%
Pipeline 27.0 1.3% 121.1 7.7%
Air 47.1 2.3% 1.1 0.1%
Other 664.9 33.1% 511.1 32.5%
Total 2,010.5 99.9% 1,574.7 100.0%
Fig. 15 Source: EU (2005b).