The fleet of Chinese interests is rapidly developing, approaching the Greek-owned fleet, in terms of transport capacity (dwt).
According to an analysis by the Laboratory of Marine Sciences, Technology and Informatics of the University of Piraeus, based on data from Clarksons, ISL, Marine Traffic and UNCTAD, dated September 24, 2024, the Greek-owned fleet has a carrying capacity of 410 million dwt and the Chinese 392 million dwt.
The difference is huge compared to the August 2023 figures, when according to UNCTAD figures the Greek-owned fleet ranked first in terms of dwt, as its total tonnage stood at 393 million tons, followed by China (302 million dwt) and Japan (238 million dwt).
In terms of ship numbers, according to the Laboratory’s analysis, the Greek fleet has 5,384 ships, while the Chinese fleet numbers 10,850.
In fact, the growth rate of the Chinese fleet is extremely impressive, since from May 2024 until September, approximately 590 ships have been added.
The trend shows that in the last year the Chinese fleet has been expanding by 100 to 120 ships per month.