World’s Busiest Shipping Lane Hits New High in 2016
Despite the difficult shipping markets in 2016 traffic in the world’s busiest shipping lane – the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) – were up 3.4% to a new all time high of 83,740 transits.
According to MANA, he figures for 2016 were the fifth year of steady growth for traffic in the Straits since 2012, when 75,477 vessels over 300gt transited the straits, according to analysis of the Malaysian Marine Department’s STRAITREP figures by the Nippon Maritime Center (NMC), provided exclusively to Seatrade Maritime News.
VLCC traffic.
Leading the growth in number of transits in percentage terms in 2016 were VLCCs with 5,973 transits of Straits, an increase of 649 or 12.19% over 5,324 transits by tankers of more than 150,000 dwt in the previous year.
Total tanker traffic
Overall tanker traffic, including VLCCs, in the SOMS was up 5.39% in 2016 to 19,466 transits, an increase of 996 compared to 18,470 transits in 2015, making it the fastest growing segment as a whole.
Tankers were the second largest vessel type to use the Straits accounting for 23% of traffic in 2016.
Containership traffic
Containerships remained the largest segment to transit the Straits in 2016 with a 33% share of traffic a figure which has remained consistent since year 2000. 393 transits, increase last year to 25,786 compared to 25,393 in 2015.
Bulker traffic
Bulk carrier traffic in the Straits has enjoyed relatively strong and steady growth since 2011 averaging 4.3%.
Bulker traffic in the SOMS grew 2.49, or 378 transits, to 15,547 in 2016 compared to 15,169 transits in the previous year. Bulk carriers accounted for 12% of the traffic in the Straits in 2016.