World containership fleet statistics. Covers existing and future fleet statistics: vessels by type, TEUs, and orderbook. Also some data on imports and exports.

1. World containership fleet – sample research
Sergey Ulitenok
sulitenok@gmail.com

2. Panamax class
1007 total fleet. Includes
containerships ranging from
3,000 to 5,099 TEU’s
Post Panamax class
916 total fleet. Includes
containerships ranging from
5,100 to 9,999 TEU’s
DRAFT Worldwide Containership Fleet
New Panamax class
171 total fleet. Includes
containerships ranging from
10,000 to 13,300 TEU’s
ULCV class
103 total fleet. Includes
containerships ranging from
13,300 to 20,000 TEU’s
(1) Alphaliner cellular fleet report (March, 2015)
(2) Excludes feeder class.
(3) Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. secured newbuilding orders for 11 containerships with a TEU capacity of 20,000.
World containership fleet (1)
The world containership fleet comes in a variety of sizes: from 100 TEU feeders to
18,500+ TEU ultra large container vessels. As of 01 March, 2015, the global
container fleet counted 5,049 vessels and had a capacity of 18,614,592 TEU’s.

3. Existing TEU’s
Orderbook
Existing fleet
Orderbook
In thousandsMarch, 2015 (1)
Size ranges
DRAFT Worldwide Containership Fleet (1)
Containerships grow
large
Over the years, containerships grew
large to benefit from the economies
of scale, lower a cost per TEU, and
reduce operating expenses.
Panamax class is
losing steam
As more owners switch to
larger containerships, Panamax
ships - 3,000 to 5,099
size range - slowly lose market
share.
“Too big to be fully utilized in
short haul and too small to
compete in long haul trades.” (2)
(1) March, 2015 alphaliner cellular fleet report.
(2) http://www.joc.com/maritime-news/international-freight-shipping/panamax-ship-scrapping-not-enough-reset-capacity-balance_20140225.html

4. East bound
West bound
North bound
South bound
In thousands2013 (1)
(1) http://www.worldshipping.org/about-the-industry/global-trade/trade-routes
(2) http://www.worldshipping.org/about-the-industry/global-trade/trade-routes
(3) http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/29/business/worldbusiness/29iht-ships.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
(4) Australia-Far East data for 2012.
Asia-North America
trade route (2)
Over 23,000,000 containers exchanged
hands in 2013 on the Asia-North America
trade route. Vast majority of those
containers were shipped from Asia, and
a significantly lesser number from
North America, many of them empty.
DRAFT Top Trade Routes
Europe to Asia trade (3)
European trade with Asia is less
imbalanced. European companies
ship more luxuries goods and import
less Asian goods compared to
North America.

5. DRAFT Trade Imbalance
Goods from Asia (1)
The trade imbalance between
Asia and North America creates
serious problems for shippers as
increasing number of containers
is sent back to Asia empty.
(1) http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/29/business/worldbusiness/29iht-ships.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Empty containers from
North America to Asia
Per 100 containers1995 2005

6. Scrap from
North America (1)
“In 2012, Americans exported
almost 22.3 million – roughly
40.5% - of the used paper and
cardboard they harvested. Of
that, majority went to China in
shipping containers.”
20122006
From China
to U.S.
From U.S.
to China
From LA
to
Chicago
From LA
to
Shenzhen
(China)
Price per container
(1) Junkyard Planet: Travels in the Billion-Dollar Trash Trade. (P.87)
DRAFT Trade Imbalance