In the first half of 2007, a cumulative total of $1.2 billion has been invested in new ships, 114 of which are 10,000-teu or above capacity vessels. According to French shipping consultancy firm Alphaliner, from the third quarter of this year to 2011, the number of 10,000-teu ships will exceed 150. These ships will be mainly deployed on Far East- Europe routes since volume on these routes is expected to grow. The world trade, it is estimated, will grow by 6.7 to 7.4 per ce nt over five years entailing in a cargo volume growth of 10 to 11 per cent. China's economic boom will continue to drive growth in container market. In 2006, the container throughput in all Chinese ports reached 80 million teus or one-fifth of the global volume. From Asia to Europe and North America, China's exports accounted for more than half of the market volumes. Barring unforeseen developments, it is therefore felt that the container market looks set to flourish in the coming years.
|
