Published on 6 January 2025

Significance of maritime shipping for global trade

Maritime transport is the cornerstone of global trade, with between 80% and 90% of globally traded goods transported through sea routes. An international merchant fleet numbering about 100,000 ships supplies the entire world with raw materials, food and goods. Dry bulk goods (e.g. iron ore, coal, grain) account for about half of sea freight, while oil and gas make up around a quarter. In 2022, this amounted to a freight volume of 12 billion tonnes. It is estimated that freight volumes have increased sixfold between 1970 and 2023.