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

Ton-Miles Shipped by Maritime Transportation, 1970-2005 (in billions)

Oil and oil products, iron ore, grain and coal accounted for the great majority of ton-miles shipped, 69.6% in 2005. Containers and other goods composed the remaining 30.2%. The share of containerized traffic is growing as containers and other cargo accounted for18.8% of ton-miles in 1970, 22.2% in 1980, 25.8% in 1990 and 30.4% in 2005. While the share of containerized traffic has increased significantly, bulk still dominates maritime shipping.

Copyright © 1998-2008, Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue, Dept. of Economics & Geography, Hofstra University. For personal or classroom use ONLY. This material (including graphics) is not public domain and cannot be published, in whole or in part, in ANY form (printed or electronic) and on any media without consent. Permission MUST be requested prior to use.