A long-lasting change?
Asian share of the world fleet the largest for the first time.
For a long time the national ownership of ships and tonnage took a back seat in a maritime shipping industry dominated by charter contracts. This could change in a new era.
The latest analysis published by Clarksons has revealed that the share of global maritime tonnage operated by Asian shipowners exceeds that of European owners for the first time. With 48,472 vessels that account for 637 million grt Asian nations’ share of the global fleet has risen to 43% of all merchant vessels sailing the Seven Seas, while European shipowners (30,610 vessels; 630 million grt) accounted for 42%.
Chinese and Japanese shipping lines lead the way
At the beginning of this century, European shipowners still commanded more than 44% of the capacity of the world merchant fleet in grt, while the Asian share stood at 32%. For Clarksons, Chinese shipowners are the main drivers of this catching up. They’ve doubled their fleet in the last ten years alone, from 111 to 226 million grt, giving them the second largest fleet in the world by nationality of ownership today. The Chinese fleet, including current orders for newbuildings, accounts for 15% of the total world fleet.
For its part, the fleet controlled by Japanese shipowners has grown by 16% to 177 million grt, representing 12% of the global fleet capacity. Shipowners from the other countries in the Asia-Pacific region have also grown, together accounting for 16% of the total fleet.
Greeks stay top, Germans flagging
In Europe, Greek shipowners have increased their fleet by 70% over the last ten years to a total of 246 million grt, representing 17% of the total world fleet, thus maintaining their top position in the overall nations ranking. The German-flagged fleet experienced a sharp decline, shrinking to 64 million grt since the financial crisis – a 34% drop in ten years.
According to Clarksons, Asian shipowners will maintain their position, as they account for 49% of ships on order, or 79 million grt. European shipowners account for 33% of orders for new tonnage (53 million grt).