Sea Views: Sea-borne trade set for record year

The United Nation's Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has published its 2003 Review of Maritime Transport, reporting that global sea trade rebounded last year to 5.89 billion tonnes, exceeding the previous record set in 2000, due primarily to a significant increase in world output.

Furthermore, the recovery is predicted to continue this year, despite initial concerns over increased costs brought about by worldwide implementation of the International Code for the Security of Ships and Port Facilities (ISPS). However, the UNCTAD report gives an optimistic view that the ISPS will result in faster freight clearance and a reduction in losses from theft.

Productivity indicators

The report indicates that world output grew by 1.9 per cent last year and world sea-borne trade (goods loaded) increased by 2.5 per cent.

Indicators for world fleet productivity (calculated in tons carried per dwt and thousands of ton-miles per dwt) showed decreases of 1.4 and 1.8 per cent from the figures for 2001.

World container port traffic expanded by 2.2 per cent over that of the previous year, reaching 236.7 million TEUs. The ports of developing countries handled 96.6 million TEUs, or 40.8 per cent of the total.

The Review of Maritime Transport is an annual publication and provides comprehensive and up-to-date statistics and information on maritime and ancillary services.

It also focuses on developments concerning maritime activities in developing countries as compared with other groups of countries and provides a complete view of the development of world sea-borne trade, world fleet size by principal types of vessel, ownership of the world fleet by countries of registration, fleet development, tonnage oversupply, the average age of the world fleet, productivity, and freight markets and rates.

The Review also contains chapters on port development, including container port traffic and container terminal throughput, as well as developments in trade and transport efficiency. Since it has been published annually since 1968, a significant historical time series has been built up, and the Review uses this to compare current statistics with those of the past few years and with the figures from 1970, 1980 and 1990. Developments in African trade and maritime transport are featured in the 2003 edition.

APL Logistics moves into the black

APL Logistics, the logistics arm of Singapore's Neptune Orient Lines (NOL), has reported third quarter earnings of $2 million compared with zero earnings for the same period last year. Third quarter revenue increased 20 per cent to $689 million, from $573 million last year, with 56 per cent of the unit's revenue coming from the Americas.

For the year to the end of the third quarter, APL Logistics moved into the black, reporting $5 million in earnings compared with an $11 million loss during the same period last year.

NOL said there was strong growth in its logistics business in Asia, while in the Americas, warehousing and transportation management was the driver. In Europe, earnings were driven by its forwarding business.

– Frank Kennedy is a marine consultant