Sea transport is of paramount importance for the implementation of foreign economic (interstate, intercontinental) relations. It provides more than 4/5 of all international transport. They include a particularly large share of bulk cargo (oil, petroleum products, ores, coal, grain, etc.). But recently the share of container transportation of so-called general cargo has been increasing ( finished products and semi-finished products).
Backgammon with intercontinental, interstate transportation, sea transport carries out in large sizes transportation of goods by large and small cabotage within your country. Large cabotage is the navigation of ships between different ports (for example, Novorossiysk, Novorossiysk - Arkhangelsk); small cabotage - transportation between ports of the same sea (Novorossiysk - Tuapse).
In terms of cargo turnover (29 trillion t-km) and labor productivity, maritime transport significantly exceeds other modes of transport. The cost of transporting goods by sea is the lowest in transport. The most effective use of sea transport is when transporting goods over long distances. Sea transport in internal messages less effective.
To carry out transportation, sea transport has a complex diversified economy: fleet, seaports, ship repair yards and etc.
Maritime transportation services several tens of thousands of vessels, with a total tonnage of more than 550 million gross registered tons (GRT) From general composition of the world merchant fleet, 1/3 of the ships are registered under the flags of industrialized countries, 1/3 also belong to shipping companies of developed countries, but sail under the “convenient” (cheap) flags of developing countries, less than 1/5 are the share of developing countries, the rest falls on share of countries with economies in transition. The largest fleets are those of Panama (112 million gross reg tons), Liberia (50), Bahamas (30), (27), (26), Cyprus (23), (22), (22), Japan (17) , China (15). However, world leadership is very conditional, since a significant share of their fleets is the property of Western European countries (including Germany), which use the flag of convenience policy to evade high taxes.
Approximately 40% of the world's fleet are tankers carrying out international transportation of oil and petroleum products.
The total number of seaports on Earth exceeds 2.2 thousand, but the so-called world ports, i.e. giant ports that annually transship more than 100 million tons of cargo 17 (see table). Sea ports with a cargo turnover of 50-100 million tons – 20; There are about fifty ports in the world with a cargo turnover of 20-50 million tons.
Largest seaports in the world
|
Port |
A country |
Freight turnover (million tons) |
|
Singapore |
Singapore |
325 |
|
Rotterdam |
320 |
|
|
New Orleans |
USA |
225 |
|
Shanghai |
China |
185 |
|
Hong Kong |
China |
175 |
|
Chiba |
Japan |
170 |
|
Houston |
USA |
160 |
|
Nagoya |
Japan |
155 |
|
Ulsan |
R.Korea |
150 |
|
Antwerp |
130 |
|
|
Long Beach |
USA |
125 |
|
Incheon |
R.Korea |
120 |
|
Busan |
R.Korea |
115 |
|
Yokohama |
Japan |
115 |
|
Kaohsiung |
115 |
|
|
Los Angeles |
USA |
115 |
|
Guangzhou |
China |
100 |
An analysis of the list of the world's largest ports shows that a significant part of them (11 out of 17 largest) are located in Asia. This indicates the growing role of the Asia-Pacific region in the world economy.
All major seaports are divided into two types: universal and specialized. Most of the world's ports are of a universal type. But along with universal ones, there are ports specialized for the export of oil (for example, Ras Tanura, Mina El Ahmadi, Hark, Tampico, Valdez), ore and coal (Tubaran, Richards Bay, Duluth, Port Cartier, Port Hedlen ), grain, timber and other cargo. Specialized ports are common mainly in developing countries. They are focused on loading goods that are the subject of export of a given country.
The structure of global maritime transport has undergone changes in recent decades: before the onset of the energy crisis main feature These changes included an increase in the share of liquid cargo (oil, petroleum products and gas). Due to the crisis, their share began to decrease, while the share of dry cargo and general cargo (finished products and semi-finished products) increased. Although it should be noted that, in general, the volume of maritime transport, including petroleum products, is growing.
Main directions of sea transportation:
Among ocean basins, the first place in terms of sea cargo transportation is Atlantic Ocean(1/2 of all maritime transport), along the coast of which the largest seaports of foreign Europe and America are located (2/3 of all ports). Several areas of maritime shipping have emerged:
- North Atlantic (the largest in the world), connecting Europe with North America.
- South Atlantic connecting Europe with South America.
- Western Atlantic, connecting Europe with Africa.
It ranks second in terms of maritime transport volume. It still lags far behind the Atlantic, but has the highest growth rates in cargo turnover. The potential of this ocean is very great. 30 countries with a population of 2.5 billion people reach its shores, many of which (Japan and the NIS countries) have high rates of economic development. On the banks Pacific Ocean There are many major ports in Japan, South-East countries Asia Australia, USA and . The largest cargo flow here is between the USA and Japan.
The third place in terms of maritime transport volume is occupied by Indian Ocean, which is bordered by 30 states with a population of 1 billion people. The most powerful cargo flows here occur in the Persian Gulf region.
The geography of maritime transport is greatly influenced by the sea straits ((the most ships pass through it - 800 per day), Gibraltar (200 ships per day), Hormuz (100), Malacca (80), Bosphorus (40), Bab el- Mandeb, Dardanelles, Skagerrak, Polk, Bering, Mozambique, etc.), as well as sea shipping canals (Suez, Panama, Kiel).
Main directions of global cargo transportation:
Oil and petroleum products:
- from the Middle East to , USA and ;
- from the Caribbean to the USA and Western Europe.
- from Australia, South Africa, USA to Western Europe and Japan.
Iron ore:
- from to Japan;
- from Australia to Western Europe and Japan.
Cereals:
- from the USA, Canada, Australia and to developing countries in Africa and Latin America.
I recently did this based on the results of 2015.
And I was asked several times what the overall picture is like in the world.
So, now you can look at the situation based on the results of 2014 (according to the AAPA World Port Rankings). It takes into account the 100 largest ports on the planet according to two indicators - cargo turnover and container turnover. Since the ranking has been going on for many years, it is very interesting to compare the record-breaking ports in comparable terms with a distance of about 10 years: this approach clearly shows the global shift in world trade and activity to East Asia, which now generates the bulk of tonnage.
In addition, the relatively modest role of the EU and the United States in maritime trade is visible. The main content of the decade 2003-2014 was the rise of China: now the ports of this country - the “workshop of the world” of the early 21st century - occupy most of the Top 25. Their growth over the decade is the fastest, if not explosive.
As you can see, the total turnover of the 25 largest ports over the decade increased by 82% - from 4.2 billion to 7.7 billion tons and reflects the overall increase in the intensity of world trade. average value ports have also grown significantly - if in 2003 even ports with a cargo turnover of less than 100 million tons were in the Top 25, now the threshold for entering the “major league” is 150 million tons. But this is only the most big picture, a lot has changed inside too.
And in the structure of changes, the most significant thing is the rapid growth of China (highlighted in yellow on the table).
If in 2003 there were two Chinese ports in the top ten: Shanghai and Guangzhou, plus Hong Kong (which historically inherited this position from the time of the British protectorate and only 6 years ago entered the PRC as a special administrative region), then in 2014 - 6 (!), that is, more than half of the top ten! Moreover, Shanghai came out in unconditional first place.
The role of Japan, which has been steadily reducing its role in global shipping traffic for a decade and a half, continues to decline. In 2003, two Japanese ports (Chiba, Nagoya) were in the top ten and Yokohama was in 21st place, but a decade later there were two of them left and they fell to 16th and 23rd places. South Korea also experienced a slight decrease in its share, with an absolute increase in cargo turnover (2003 - 4 ports in the Top 25, 2014 - 3 and positions lower). Dropped out of the Top 25 by Taiwan (Kaohsiung).
The European Union in 2003 was represented by four ports in the Top 25 - Rotterdam (the main European hub), Antwerp, Hamburg and Marseille. By the middle of the “tenths” there were only two of them left, and they dropped significantly in the ranking - for example, Rotterdam from second place in the world to seventh. German and French ports dropped out of the Top 25 altogether, and now occupy 26th (Hamburg) and 47th (Marseille) places. Next come Amsterdam (39th place), Spanish Algeciras (43rd) and Bremen (48th). Italian and English ports (these countries were formerly major maritime powers) are at the rear of the list. Thus, the English Grimsby occupies the 68th position, and the Italian Trieste - the 71st. London - once the gateway to the "workshop of the world" - is in 96th place.
The United States also lost relative positions: in 2003 - 3 ports in the Top 25, including 5th and 6th places; in 2014 - only 2 or lower, and New York dropped from 18th to 34th place. Australia's share has increased: if a decade ago it was represented by a single port in 25th position, now there are three, including fifth position in the world. However, Australian cargo turnover is very specific and represents the export of mineral resources.
In general, in the table we can distinguish two fundamentally different types ports: specialized and universal. The former process predominantly a certain type of cargo, which occupies the overwhelming share of their loading (Australian Port Hedland, for example). The latter work with a wide range of cargo - serving, as a rule, a large economically active region (Shanghai, Rotterdam).
Here, too, two types can be distinguished: ports located directly in places where cargo flows are generated (say, Shanghai) and those that specialize in transshipment operations at a convenient point in the World Ocean with the intersection of routes, the so-called. Transshipment (Singapore).
It should also be noted that container turnover in the world grew noticeably faster than overall cargo turnover (for TOP-25 ports - 113% growth versus 66%).
Rotterdam was once the largest container port on the planet (1987). This time has long passed - in 2003 he dropped to 8th place, and now he is only in 11th place, continuously losing positions. At the beginning of the 2000s, Hong Kong and Singapore held unconditional leadership, mainly due to transshipment operations. However, now “mainland” China has taken the lead: even if we single out Hong Kong with its status as a special region, there are 6 (!) Chinese ports in the top ten - Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Ningbo, Qingdao, Guangzhou, Tianjin. A real "workshop of the world"!
The patterns with the falling role of the EU and the United States and Japan also apply here: their share is falling, despite the fact that they specialize in products with higher added value (2014: EU - 4 ports in the Top 25, USA - 3). According to this indicator, Japanese ports are no longer in the Top 25, but the Vietnamese have appeared (Saigon).
Dubai, which has tripled in size, serves as a hub for the Middle East region. Busan in South Korea retained its position, but Indonesia and the Philippines dropped out of the Top 25. Taiwanese ports have lost weight in the table of ranks - for example, Kaohsiung dropped from 6th to 13th place.
Russian ports occupy a modest place in both ratings: our country’s share in world trade is small, and transport traffic to a very large extent is continental, not maritime. The largest port in Russia - Novorossiysk(127 million tons, 2015), which is now rapidly being overtaken by Ust-Luga, which is approaching the one hundred million mark (87.9 million tons). The largest container port in Russia - Saint Petersburg(approx. 2.5 million TEU). By the way, in the AAPA tables, the cargo turnover of Russian ports is given in a significantly underestimated amount - perhaps the accounting methodology differs.
2) Freight turnover indicators: MT - metric ton, FT - freight ton, RT - customs ton. The last two indicators take into account not only weight, but also volume, taking into account the cases of “heavy but compact load” and “light load with large volume” and setting a strictly defined ratio of weight and volume. Ports different countries calculate their indicators in these slightly different units of measurement.
3) Transshipment– a mode of transportation in which the carrier has the right at any time to reload the cargo onto another ship, without removing responsibility for its delivery to the owner.
The total number of seaports is estimated differently in the literature. L.I. Vasilevsky at one time cited a figure of 25-30 thousand, apparently taking into account the smallest ports of purely local importance. There is also a figure of 10 thousand ports. However, there are approximately 2.2 thousand larger ports involved not only in local cabotage, but also in international transport. About 900 of them are in Europe, more than 500 in America, about 400 in Asia, the rest in other parts of the world .
The main indicator of a seaport's performance is its cargo turnover. There are several hundred ports in the world with a cargo turnover of more than 1 million tons per year. But the most important in global maritime transport are those that have a cargo turnover of more than 10-30 million and especially more than 50 and 100 million tons per year. The last two categories fall under the concept of “world ports,” which characterizes their role in the world economy. There are about 40 such ports in the world.
Below is a list of sea container ports sorted by cargo volume measured in TEU. It includes the 50 largest international ports for the period 2009. The data in the table is in thousands of TEUs.
All seaports are divided into two main types.
The first type includes universal ports, i.e., ports that receive and process a wide variety of cargo - general, liquid, bulk, bulk. In this regard, their individual sections are usually designed for loading and unloading containers, oil, coal, ore, grain, timber, etc.
Such ports predominate in economically developed countries with diversified economies, and in the whole world they are the overwhelming majority. Data on the cargo turnover of the largest universal ports are presented below (universal seaports of the world with a cargo turnover of more than 75 million tons in 2009).
Analysis of the table allows us to draw several interesting conclusions. For example, that of the 22 ports included in it, 14 are in Asia, which in itself can serve as an indicator of the growing role of the Asia-Pacific region.
Or, for example, that of individual countries, China has the largest number of largest ports (8), followed by the USA (4) and Japan (3) and the Republic of Korea (2), while all other countries have only one such a port.
It is also interesting to compare this list with the list of the world's largest ports in the mid-1980s. It turns out that the relatively a short time European ports such as Le Havre and Genoa, Canadian Vancouver, Japanese Kure, and even New York, which was second in the previous list after Rotterdam, dropped out of it.
There are about 50 universal ports with an annual cargo turnover of 20 million tons to 50 million tons in the world. Most of them are in the USA and Italy (6 each), followed by the UK, France and Japan (3 each). This category also includes Amsterdam, Gdansk-Gdynia, Bremen, Gothenburg in Europe, Mumbai, Bangkok, Dalian, Qingdao in Asia, Alexandria in Africa, Montreal, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro in America, Sydney in Australia.
The second type includes specialized ports. Unlike universal ones, they are focused, as a rule, on the loading of any one mass product that is the subject of export of this country. Specialized ports are especially common in developing countries. The largest of them arose in connection with oil exports and are located in the Persian Gulf. This is Ras Tanura in Saudi Arabia, Minael Ahmadi in Kuwait, about. Khark in Iran.
All of them accommodate the largest supertankers, and their cargo turnover during the period of maximum production and export exceeded that of Rotterdam.
Very large oil export ports also include Bonny in Nigeria, Tampico in Mexico, Es Sider in Libya, Dumai in Indonesia, and Valdez in Alaska.
The world's largest port for the export of iron ore has recently become the Brazilian port of Tubaran, which receives ore carriers with a tonnage of 250 thousand tons.
There are also specialized ports in developed Western countries that export mining products to the world market.
Most of them are located in Canada, Australia, South Africa and the USA. These are the largest ports for the export of coal - Hampton Roads (USA), Richards Bay (South Africa), Newcastle (Australia), iron ore - Port Hedland (Australia), Saint-Îles (Canada), phosphorites - Tampa (USA).
Seaports are also classified according to the characteristics of their transport and geographical location.
If we take into account the micro-position, which takes into account primarily the morphology of the coasts, then ports are usually divided primarily into:
- 1) located in deep natural bays, protected from open sea capes acting as natural breakwaters;
- 2) located in shallow bays or on coastal plains, when protection from the open sea is provided with the help of artificial breakwaters;
- 3) located far from the mouth in the estuaries of navigable rivers. Examples of such ports are Yokohama, Casablanca and Hamburg, respectively.
In addition, there are ports equipped with locks to retain water in port basins during low tide (for example, London) and other subtypes.
When they talk about the meso-location of seaports, they primarily mean their hinterland. This term, which became widespread in Germany in the middle of the 19th century, is used to designate a land territory that is economically gravitational to a port. Thus, the hinterland for Rotterdam is not only the entire Netherlands, but also a significant part of Germany, as well as Belgium and France.
Actually this is what it is main reason its transformation into the first or second port in the world. cargo turnover sea transport
Less common is the term foreland, used to characterize the zone of gravity towards the port from the sea.
Finally, the macro-position of a port is determined by its position on sea routes of regional and global importance. The particular benefits of this situation can be seen, say, in the example of the port city of Singapore.
Of these three types of transport-geographical position of seaports, the micro-position is somewhat more stable.
Although the port’s territory often continues to expand, it now has a deep-sea outport to receive large-capacity vessels, and its interaction with the port city itself is becoming more and more complicated.
Great changes have recently occurred in the mesolocation of ports. Increasingly, they are no longer talking about individual ports, but about port (port-industrial) complexes, which are not a simple sum of two or more ports coexisting on a certain section of the coastal zone, but complement each other.
A striking example of this kind is the Japanese Keihin port complex in Tokyo Bay, which includes the ports of Chiba, Yokohama, Tokyo, and Kawasaki.
Such port complexes is also in Western Europe, and in the USA (for example, in Delaware Bay).
It also happens that ports and port complexes in the sea-land contact zone form entire chains.
Just look at a map of the coast of the English Channel and the North Sea from Le Havre to Hamburg or at a map of the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico, which belongs to the United States.
Russia has 43 seaports, which is 3/5 of the ports former USSR. But there are only a few relatively large and well-equipped among them, and Novorossiysk alone recently reached a cargo turnover of 75 million tons. The cargo turnover of the port of St. Petersburg in 2014 amounted to 5193.53 thousand tons. As a result, more than a third of the country’s foreign trade turnover is carried out through the ports of the Baltic countries, Ukraine and Finland.
The already mentioned revival program Russian fleet provides, among other things, for the reconstruction of existing and construction of new seaports.
Global consumer demand dictates the international flow of container shipping, so whether you want to know where your local store goods, computers, phones, parts, cars and more come from, more than 70% of all the world's goods are transported using containers across oceans. Six of the world's 10 largest ports are in China - measured by cargo shipped in standard containers, or TEUs (Twenty Foot Equivalent Units).
Singapore
The busiest port in the world, the incredible port can handle more than 25.8 million containers per year!. Although Singapore's seaport grew 10% in March compared to the previous year, the 2,400,000 containers shipped in the same month is still below the port's monthly reported 2.7 million containers reached in July 2008. The port's main operator, PSA International, is government-owned and operates in five of the port's six terminals.
Shanghai, China
China has become largest exporter in the world after Germany last year, Shanghai is one of the world's busiest ports, with more than 25 million containers a year passing through it. The country's largest port, operator Shanghai International Port Group, profited 1 billion yuan ($149 million) in the first quarter after significantly increasing container throughput by 15.5%.
Hong Kong, China
China's second largest port is controlled by billionaires named Li Ka Shing. The port is operated by Hutchison Port Holdings, which is the world's largest container operator with terminals in six of the nine largest ports around the world. In Hong Kong, it operates 12 berths through its subsidiary and another through two joint ventures with COSCO. Last year, the port in Hong Kong handled 21 million containers.
Shenzhen, China
The mainland's second-busiest port is expanding its market share in southern China into Hong Kong thanks to its proximity to factories and the nearby Pearl River Delta. China Merchants Holdings is the largest port operator in Shenzhen, which unloaded more than 18 million containers in 2009.
Busan, South Korea
Busy port in South Korea. Last year almost 12 million containers arrived here. Hanjin Shipping, the country's largest container company, expects to return to profitability this year. CEO The company, Kim Yong-min, is the current chairman of the 12-member Transpacific Stabilization Agreement, a shipping cartel that aims to raise rates through cooperation rather than competition.
Guangzhou, China
Third port in the south Chinese city in the Pearl River Delta, Guangzhou. Over the past year, the port received just over 11.1 million containers. The largest port operator is Guangzhou Port Group.
Dubai, UAE
DP World, the world's fourth-largest container terminal operator, is controlled by Dubai World, a state-owned holding company, which recently had to restructure the business for $23.5 billion due to debt. DP World is seeking to list its shares on the London Stock Exchange. Last year, 11.1 million containers passed through the port of Dubai.
Ningbo, China
Another Chinese port, in 2009 more than 10.5 million containers were handled at the port of Ningbo, which competes with larger and nearby rival Shanghai International Port. The port of Ningbo announced in December that it plans to collect about 10 billion yuan ($1,500 million) through Shanghai in the first half of 2010.
Qingdao, China
Huge ships filled with dry mixes line up at ports like Qingdao and Newcastle in Australia reflecting growing demand for the raw material. Last year, Qingdao port terminals handled 10.2 million containers.
Rotterdam, Netherlands
The largest port in Europe reported that throughput rose 16% to 2.6 million containers during the first quarter, with demand driven by trade with Asia. Almost 10 million containers were unloaded at the port of Rotterdam in 2009. Port information sources said shipping volumes increased sharply in the last quarter, including more iron ore and scrap metal, other bulk products and petroleum products.
In fact, if you wanted to compile the TOP 10 largest ports in the world, almost all of them would be in Asia. But today we will not describe the most gigantic ports, but will focus our attention on the most productive “sea gates” of the world, where transshipment, arrival and departure of a simply gigantic number of ships and cargo take place every day. Looking at the number of twenty-foot equivalent units (called TEU) they process. from English twenty-foot equivalent unit), it’s time to truly admire. And this TOP will include precisely such ports - the most significant ones, without which modern trade and logistics would simply be impossible.
Port of Shanghai (China)
According to the latest available data (2016), the sea and river port of Shanghai handles about 37 million TEU per year, which set a world record, significantly ahead of all other ports.
Located at the mouth of the Yangtze River, it has 125 berths, handling more than 2,000 container ships every month. This is about a quarter of all outbound shipments from China.
But when it comes to size, the Port of Singapore will give everyone a head start. With nearly 31 million 20-foot equivalent units processed, it is not far behind Shanghai, but larger in size. Moreover, the area occupied by these “sea gates” is growing more and more every year, which means that it is likely that it will soon be able to once again take away its status as the busiest port in the world from Shanghai ( until 2015 it was the largest port in the world). However, today it is the largest transshipment point in the world, receiving cargo from 600 other ports from 123 countries.
It has 52 berths for container ships, on which almost 200 harbor cranes operate simultaneously. And, of course, he brings an incredible amount of money to the country.
Port of Rotterdam (Holland)
It is the largest port in Europe in terms of cargo handled. However, with its more than 12 million TEU, it does not even make it into the top ten most powerful in the world - in 2015 it took 11th place.
Stretching over 40 km, it has perhaps one of the deepest port waters to be able to receive huge ships. And it is definitely the most technologically advanced, because almost all unloading and loading operations on it are carried out using modern technology - robots, automation and unique port special equipment.
The only non-Asian port that is also included in the TOP 10 largest seaports in the world. Jebel Ali, located 35 km from Dubai and originally built almost on sand in the desert, handles cargo in the amount of 15 million TEU. Acts as an important port for everything related to oil. It is a relatively new “player” in the global logistics network.
The port can accommodate ships of up to 545 thousand tons of carrying capacity and up to 414 meters in length, and is where the US Navy's Nimitz-class aircraft carriers most often stop.
More than 10,000 people work on its territory, it has a metro line, and its needs are provided by its own power plant and a giant desalination plant.
The largest port in South and North America, which is why it is simply called Port of America. Handles about 8 million TEU per year. Located 32 km from Los Angeles, it covers an area of more than 300 hectares, has 270 deep-water berths, and is served by 23 harbor cranes and more than 1,000 people.
The depth at the entrance fairways is 10-16 m, the oil harbor is accessible to tankers with a draft of up to 15 m. It receives a lot of cargo and passengers from Asia - China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam. The territory has its own museum, park, many cafes and a very picturesque embankment, along which many tourists enjoy walking.
This port, founded in 1876, is called the fastest growing port in the world, not only in terms of area expansion, but also in terms of its importance in global logistics. Now, with its size of 153 hectares, it ranks 5th in the top ten largest ports in the world. Currently it handles about 20 million TEU per year - that's 130 ships daily. It is considered one of the most important ports through which most of the world's seafood passes.
The port of Busan is the largest in the Republic of Korea and can accommodate ships with a displacement of up to 50 thousand tons, a length of up to 330 meters and a draft of up to 12.5 meters.
Every year the port hosts a festival of lights, which is accompanied by bright performances, light performances with the participation of port cranes and a laser show.
Despite the fact that this Turkish port ranks only 48th in the international size ranking, it already handles just over 3 million TEU per year. It is the largest in the country, located in Istanbul, and already plays a key global role in cargo delivery. One of the oldest ports in maritime history humanity, Ambarli has access to the Marmara and Black Seas, which means it can actively work with Europe.
The port is divided into two parts. Part one, called the New Port, consists mainly of bulk and container terminals, the second is mainly oil platforms and berths.
