Dry bulk shipping refers to the movement of significant commodities carried in bulk : - the so-called major bulks, together with ships carrying steel products (coils, plates and rods), lumber or log carriers and other commodities classified as the minor bulks.

The importance of the dry bulk industry is that without the estimated 285 million deadweight tons of dry bulk shipping, global trade, industry and ultimately our current lifestyles, could not be maintained.

The international steel industry - for example, could not function without an efficient and cost effective maritime industry transporting the raw materials - coal and iron ore, as well as the means to ship the finished product around the world.

Looking around the average home, the unseen links with the dry cargo industry are all around. Toasting a piece of bread involves metal components in the toaster - manufactured processes using ores and alumina, grain used in the bread and coal-generated electricity providing the power.

There are three main types/sizes of bulk carrier:

	Size (deadweight tonnes)	No. in World fleet
Handies	10 - 49,999 dwt	2756
Panamax	50 - 79,999 dwt	1393
Capesize	80,000+ dwt	622

Intercargo maintains a database of other dry bulk vessels trading internationally.
The following numbers are believed correct as at 1 January 2005:

Other dry cargo ships include OBO's (ore / bulk / ore carriers or Combination Carriers) which are vessels able to trade alternatively between dry and wet cargoes. There are also very large ore carriers which tend to be used on long-term contracts of affreightment (COAs), vessels which are used in the lumber or wood-chip trades and vessels employed in the cement trades. Smaller types of vessels - namely the handysize and handymax, can be fitted with their own discharging gear.

We are frequently asked by the media about the world's largest dry cargo vessel. To the best of our knowledge, we believe that this is the "Berge Stahl" which measures 343 meters in length with a beam of 63 meters. It's deadweight is 364,000 dwt.

The dry cargo trades

It is difficult to accurately portray the variety of trades covered by dry cargo shipping. Key trades in the dry bulk trades are iron ore, coal, grain, bauxite and alumina and phosphates. Unctad's Review of Maritime Transport for 2004 estimates that the growth of international seaborne trade (goods loaded) in the main bulk trades to have been as shown in the table, shown right.

The growth in trade - over 14% since 2000, has exceeded the growth in the world bulk carrier fleet - the capacity of which is estimated to have increased by around 10% over the same period. The increase in trade has been most dramatic in Asia - especially China, where strong economic growth has created a strong market for bulk shipping services.

Chain of responsibility

To understand the industry better, Intercargo's policies draw on the concept of the "chain of responsibility". This defines the supply chain participants as the shipowners / operators, charterers, banks/insurance/other financial interests, labour union interests, environmental interests etc.

Intercargo will continue to engage these stakeholders in line with the policies suggested in the Direction Paper (PDF)

Return to Intercargo home page

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF DRY CARGO SHIPOWNERS
9th Floor, St Clare House, 30-33 Minories, London EC3N 1DD
Telephone : +44 20 7977-7030, Fax : +44 20 7977-7031