The Review of Maritime Transport, an annual publication prepared by the Division on Technology and Logistics of the UNCTAD secretariat, is an important source of information on the port sector. It closely monitors developments affecting world seaborne trade, freight rates, ports, surface transport and logistics services, as well as trends in ship ownership and control and fleet age, tonnage supply and productivity.

The Review contains a chapter on legal and regulatory developments and each year includes a special chapter analysing a selected topic in depth. In the special chapter on ports records that world container port throughput increased by an estimated 13.3 per cent to 531 million 20-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, in 2010, after stumbling briefly in 2009. The UNCTAD Liner Shipping Connectivity Index (LSCI) reveals that China maintains its lead as the single most connected country. It is followed by Hong Kong (China), Singapore and Germany. In 2011, 91 countries increased their LSCI ranking over 2010, 6 saw no change, and 65 recorded a decrease.

In 2011 Review, the focus is on the participation of developing countries in different maritime businesses. As highlighted, developing countries are not only users of shipping services but increasingly participants in the provision of these services, through the operation of seaports, and other relevant activities.
Key developments reported in this year´s Review also include the fact that after contracting in 2009, international shipping experienced an upswing in demand in 2010, and recorded a positive turnaround in volumes, especially in the dry bulk and container trade segments. Total seaborne trade reached an estimated 8.4 billion tons in 2010.

You can download the 2011 Review of Maritime Transport via the UNCTAD website @ Review of Maritime Trasnport