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UNCTAD unveils the world’s most efficient tanker, dry bulk and container ports

Qatar has been crowned world champion when it comes to handling liquid bulk. The hosts of this year’s FIFA World Cup might have proven to be slow on the football pitch, but not so when it comes to handling tankers.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) 190-page Review of Maritime Transport 2022, published today, carries data on the most efficient ports in dry bulk, containers and tankers – data rarely made public.

When it comes to handling VLCCs, the Middle East nation has the world’s best port performance for liquid bulk at almost 260 tons per minute.

For dry bulk, the fastest loading times are recorded for Brazil, at almost 78 tons of cargo per minute, followed by Australia at 71 tons per minute.

For containers, a study published earlier in the year by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence showed that Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Port is the most efficient in a report that assessed turnaround time by vessel size and port call size.

The in-depth UNCTAD report also covers seaborne trade, the world fleet, freight rates, port traffic, maritime performance, and the legal and regulatory framework. A look into the UN body’s forecasts for seaborne trade growth in the coming years forms the lead story in tomorrow’s issue of Splash Extra.

Sam Chambers

Starting out with the Informa Group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine as well as East Asia Editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia Editor at Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and The International Herald Tribune.
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