Review of maritime transport: navigating stormy waters

The review estimates that higher grain prices and dry bulk freight rates in early 2022 contribute to a 1.2 per cent increase in consumer food prices. Container ships spent 13.7 per cent longer in port in 2021 compared to 2020, exacerbating delays and shortages. And during the last year, total greenhouse-gas emissions from the world fleet increased by 4.7 per cent. UNCTAD’s review of maritime transport has assessed and accompanied developments in shipping and seaports since 1968. The experience and extensive data sets generated during the last decades help UNCTAD provide a comprehensive and thorough assessment of the causes and impacts of the trends covered in the Review. And the message emanating from our analysis is clear: The world again needs the shipping industry to navigate through the rough seas of crises. The war in Ukraine has disrupted major shipping routes and supply chains. It has also triggered record prices that could push tens of millions more people across the world into hunger and poverty in 2022, as has been stated by the UN Global Crisis Response Group. Maritime transport has a key role to play in cushioning the blow. Prices need to come down to affordable levels, especially for developing countries, and for the world to have enough fertilizers to feed itself.