Powerful fleet expansion China has overtaken Japan to become the largest shipping owner in the world after Japan and newbuild orders for ore carriers, tankers and container ships are set to boost capacity even more. The Chinese fleet has grown by 23% since August to 7,744 ships in August , totalling 170 million gross mt, according to Clarksons Research . The Japanese fleet, which has grown by 23% in the same time, was 222 million mt and the Greek 167.6 million mt. Shipbuilding orders from China at the end of 2017 totalled 25.5 million gross mt, representing a 17% increase in the country’s fleet.
China has overtaken Japan to become the largest shipping owner in the world after Japan and newbuild orders for ore carriers, tankers and container ships are set to boost capacity even more. The Chinese fleet has grown by 23% since August to 7,744 ships in August , totalling 170 million gross mt, according to Clarksons Research . The Japanese fleet, which has grown by 23% in the same time, was 222 million mt and the Greek 167.6 million mt. Shipbuilding orders from China at the end of 2017 totalled 25.5 million gross mt, representing a 17% increase in the country’s fleet.