Global maritime trade grew by 2.4% in 2023, recovering from a 2022 contraction, but the recovery remains fragile. Key chokepoints like the Suez and Panama Canals are increasingly vulnerable to geopolitical tensions, conflicts and climate change. These disruptions are extending shipping routes, straining supply chains and raising costs, with profound impacts on food security, energy supplies and the global economy, as over 80% of world trade volume is carried by sea. Vulnerable economies, especially small island developing States and least developed countries, are hit hardest by rising shipping costs from rerouted vessels. The Review of Maritime Transport 2024 highlights these challenges, calling for urgent action to strengthen industry resilience, accelerate decarbonization and support vulnerable economies. It underscores the need for new infrastructure that is sustainable and resilient, a faster transition to low-carbon shipping and a crackdown on fraudulent ship registrations to safeguard global trade.
