UNCTAD published today the 2016 edition of Review of Maritime Transport, a recurrent publication prepared by the UNCTAD secretariat since 1968 with the aim of fostering the transparency of maritime markets and analysing relevant developments.
In one of its sections – Chapter 4, Review of Maritime Transport 2016 sets out to describe the work of UNCTAD in helping developing countries improve port performance in order to lower transport costs and achieve better integration into global trade. The Review explores new datasets in port statistics and presents an overview of what these reveal about the port industry in 2015.
The overall port industry, including the container sector, experienced significant declines in growth, with growth rates for the largest ports only just remaining positive. The 20 leading ports by volume experienced an 85 per cent decline in growth, from 6.3 per cent in 2014 to 0.9 per cent in 2015. Of the seven largest ports to have recorded declines in throughput, Singapore was the only one not located in China. Nonetheless, with 14 of the top 20 ports located in China, some ports posted impressive growth, and one (Suzhou) even grew by double digits. The top 20 container ports, which usually account for about half of the world’s container port throughput and provide a straightforward overview of the industry in any year, showed a 95 per cent decline in growth, from 5.6 per cent in 2014 to 0.5 per cent in 2015.
You might freely download the publication by visiting UNCTAD’s website: Review of Maritime Transport 2016
