Although consolidation has been significant within the container shipping segment, the overall shipping market is still very fragmented, and the average shipping company only owns a few ships. Over time, key shipping nations have, however, emerged. Some have since lost importance due to shifts in global trade, but Greece has remained the world's foremost shipping nation.
More recently, China’s importance as a shipping nation has grown, and Chinese shipowners now jointly control the world’s largest merchant fleet. The country also currently owns the second-largest fleet of cargo-carrying ships.
Measured by cargo capacity, Greek shipowners control the world’s largest fleet of cargo-carrying ships. They control 19% of the cargo-carrying capacity and maintain a particularly high share within the dry bulk, tanker, and gas carrier sectors.
