Which Countries Own the Big Ships?

Greece, China and Japan dominate in the largest shipping segments. Data from VesselsValue.com shows that Greek owners lead the way with 144 very large crude carriers (200,000 - 600,000 dwt) and 60 large LNG Carriers (100,000 - 199,999 cbm). Japanese owners lead the large bulk carrier market with 399 cape size vessels (120,000 - 450,000 dwt), and China figures in the top five for bulk carriers, container ships and VLCCs.

The China Shipowners’ Association has around 200 members operating a merchant fleet of over 70 million dwt, which accounts for about 85 per cent of the country’s total carrying capacity.

Two leading players, China Ocean Shipping (COSCO) and China Shipping, agreed to share resources in shipping, ports and shipbuilding in February in response to current market pressures. COSCO is the world's fifth biggest container shipper, based on fleet size, and China Shipping is the ninth largest. China's move towards becoming a free market economy has encouraged competition among state-owned enterprises, making the two rivals to this point. According to the Wall Street Journal, the companies said they hope to "improve the influence of Chinese shipping companies in the world shipping industry."