Intra-Mediterranean container trade to grow to 17.1 million TEU by 2017 says Dynamar

Dynamar forecasts the 2015 volume of the total Intra-Mediterranean full container trade (regional trade and feeder boxes) to reach 15.6 million TEU, up from 14.9 million TEU in 2013, and growing to 17.1 million TEU by 2017.

Intra-Mediterranean (2014) Container Trades is consisted of 170 services operated by 40 different shipping companies deploying 275 container, Ro/Ro and multipurpose ships with container capacities of 400 to 3,000 TEU that populate the intra and coastal all Mediterranean waters. Through nearly 100 ports in 24 countries, they serve some 700 million people in frequencies of between twice and many times per month, carrying an average of 275,000 full TEU of regional trade and feeder boxes every week. The total 2013 global throughput of 95 ports handling intra-Mediterranean container trade can be estimated at 56 million TEU. This constitutes a growth of some 5.5% over 2012.

In terms of connectivity, the Aegean sub trade is the numero uno with 275 trade connections; the Black Sea is at the bottom of this ranking with just 71. With respect to individual port connectivity, Piraeus is at the top with 54 connections, but Alexandria is on its heels: 53.

Dominant transhipment ports are those whose transhipment volumes make up for more than 50% of their total throughput. There are ten of them in the Mediterranean. With 95% each, Gioia Tauro and Tangier-Med Port had the highest shares. In 2013, Algeciras handled the largest transhipment volume: nearly 4.0 million TEU, ahead of Port Said’s 3.8 million TEU.

Eight Global Terminal Operators are involved in total thirty Mediterranean box facilities, also handling intra-trade. With eight terminals, including projects, APM Terminals is the largest in this respect, followed by DP World (6) and MSC-subsidiary TIL (5).

On a country basis, Spain handles the largest number of containers (import and export, full and empty, including transhipment): more than 11 million TEU in 2013. Croatia is the smallest country in this respect with just 132,000 TEU.

The Bosporus, connecting the East Mediterranean with the Black Sea and flowing through Istanbul city-centre, has a maximum vessel length restriction of 300 metres. The largest ship passing through this natural waterway is a 9,400 TEU CMA CGM newbuilding with a length-over-all of 299.95 metres.

As it should be, the vast majority of the intra-Mediterranean carriers, 28 out of total 40, originate from the region itself. MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) is the undisputed leader with an overall capacity share of 25%. Marseilles-based CMA CGM comes second with 15%, while fast growing Izmir/Turkey-headquartered Arkas Line is 3rd, operating 15% of all intra-Med capacity. A further “local” carrier known beyond the Mediterranean is ZIM (2%), which is followed by a raft of others from the region with shares of 1% or less.

Combined, the Top 5 carriers, to which furthermore belong the two Danish companies Maersk Line and Unifeeder, account for 60% of the ships and 68% of capacity. Mathematically, the intra-Mediterranean trade exactly follows the Pareto* principle, also known as the 80–20 rule, the law of the vital few. The eight largest, 20% of all 40 carriers, operate 80% of annualised trade capacity. * Vilfredo Pareto was an Italian economist.
Source: Dynamar B.V.