Insights into the performance of the global shipping industry

January 2011

The dramatic decline in world trade in late 2008 and 2009 caused freight rates and vessel values to decline sharply and raised significant challenges for the future of a large number of shipping companies, according to the PwC “Global Shipping Benchmarking Survey 2010’’. However, as the world economy started its slow path to recovery in 2010 and the measures taken by shipping companies started bringing results, we expect reported performance to improve in 2010.

This benchmarking survey is based on the financial analysis of companies in different sub-sectors in the shipping industry: containers, tankers, dry bulk, off shore, ferries and miscellaneous (companies active in several sectors of the shipping industry). More than 110 companies have been included in the financial performance benchmark survey. Financial data have been derived from the financial statements from 2005 up to and including 2009.