UNCTAD published today the 2017 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.
The Review of Maritime Transport 2017 presents key developments in the world economy and international trade and related impacts on shipping demand and supply, and freight and charter markets in 2016 and early 2017, as well as seaports and the regulatory and legal framework.
In Chapter 4, Review of Maritime Transport 207 addresses the developments in container port traffic at the country and container port levels, considers potential implications of the heightened concentration and consolidation in the liner shipping market, as well as the establishment of mega-alliances and the upsizing of ships. The importance of port performance in the face of growing competitive pressure is also addressed. The report also highlights the potential of public–private partnerships and port concessions as favoured mechanisms for private sector participation in ports and concludes with an overall outlook and some policy implications.
UNCTAD estimates that world container port throughput increased by 1.7 per cent in 2015, with total volumes reaching 686.8 million TEUs. This is less than half the growth recorded in 2014, reflecting the difficulties experienced by world containerized trade flows in 2015.
You might freely download the publication by visiting UNCTAD’s website: Review of Maritime Transport 2017