Source: UNCTAD Review of Maritime Transport, various years. http://www.unctad.org/

Ton-Miles Shipped by Maritime Transportation, 1970-2008 (in billions)

In 2008 the total ton-miles performed by maritime transportation reached a record just under 33,000 billions, a 209% increase since 1970. This implies an annual growth rate of about 2.1%. Oil and oil products, iron ore, grain and coal accounted for the great majority of the ton-miles shipped, 68% in 2008. Oil alone accounted for 35% of ton-miles. Containers and other goods composed the remaining 32%. The global maritime trade, weight wise, remains dominated by basic commodities. The share of containerized traffic is however growing as containers and other cargo accounted for 18.8% of ton-miles in 1970, 22.2% in 1980, 25.8% in 1990 and 31.7% in 2008.

Over the 1970-2008 period the average distance over which cargoes were transported did not change; about 4,100 nautical miles. The average transport distance only marginally increased for oil (from 4,500 to 4,600 nautical miles) and slightly decreased for other dry cargoes (from 3,100 to 2,900 nautical miles). Only for major bulk trades, such as coal and iron ore, is there a significant lengthening of the voyage distance (from 4,600 to 5,400 nautical miles), mainly because of new major consumers of this imported cargo, notably China.

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