Overview of Major Global Dry Bulk Shipping Routes and Related Ports

The Dry Bulk Shipping Witnesses Significant Market Share?

The maritime market has become an indispensable part of international trade thanks to the deepening of globalization. The maritime market includes various sectors such as container shipping, oil tanker shipping, and dry bulk shipping. Among these, the dry bulk market stands out for its ability to transport a diverse range of goods and for representing the largest market share in the maritime industry. In 2022, the dry bulk market accounted for over 57% of the total market share.?

By December 2023, the global dry bulk shipping market had reached a fleet size of 13,557 ships, with a cumulative deadweight tonnage of 100.3 million tons. This fleet stands as the largest in the global shipping industry, holding 45% of the total shipping capacity, and is an integral part of the logistics chain of international trade. Dry bulk cargo ships are categorized by tonnage and sailing areas. In this context, E-PORTS provides an overview of the different types of dry bulk ships, the primary shipping routes, and the major ports involved in global dry bulk shipping.?

Dry Bulk Shipping Routes for Different Vessel Types

Handy Bulk Carrier

Handy bulk carriers, with a deadweight of 10,000 to 40,000 tons, include built-in cranes and cargo handling devices. The relatively small deadweight ensures a shallow draught. These features allow them to navigate ports with shallower draught and unfavorable conditions with ease and flexibility, thereby being referred to as “handy”.

?- Skaw-Passero trip to Rio de Janeiro-Recalada

- Skaw-Passero trip to Boston-Galveston

- Rio de Janeiro-Recalada trip to Skaw-Passero

- US Gulf trip via US Gulf or north coast South America to Skaw-Passero

- South East Asia trip to Singapore-Japan

- North China-South Korea-Japan trip to North China-South Korea-Japan?

- North China-South Korea-Japan trip to South East Asia

Supramax Bulk Carrier

Dry bulk carriers, known as the "Plus" version of Handy bulk carriers, have a deadweight tonnage of 40,000 to 60,000 tons. With a longer length (up to 200 meters) and a deeper draught (up to 12 meters), they can transport more cargo. Due to their size, they cannot dock at smaller ports or navigate the Saint Lawrence Seaway, but they can pass through both the Panama and Suez Canals.

- Canakkale trip via Med or Bl Sea to China-South Korea?

- US Gulf trip to China-south Japan

- North China one Australian or Pacific round voyage

- North China trip to West Africa?

- US Gulf trip to Skaw-Passero

- Skaw-Passero trip to the US Gulf

- West Africa trip via east coast South America to north China?

- South China trip via Indonesia to east coast India

- West Africa trip via east coast South America to Skaw-Passero?

- South China trip via Indonesia to south China

Panamax Bulk Carrier

Ranging from 40,000 to 60,000 tons in deadweight, the Panamax bulk carriers, an upgraded version of the Handy bulk carrier, are designed to transport larger volumes of cargo with a longer hull length of 200 meters and a deeper draught of 12 meters. Given their size, they are not suitable for smaller ports or safe passage through the St. Lawrence Seaway, but they can transit the Panama and Suez canals.

- Skaw-Gib transatlantic round voyage

- Skaw-Gib trip HK-S Korea incl Taiwan

- HK-S Korea incl Taiwan 1 Pacific round voyage?

- HK-S Korea incl Taiwan trip to Skaw-Gib

- Dely Spore round voyage via Atlantic

- South China to Indonesian round voyage

- Mississippi river to Qingdao

- Santos to Qingdao

Capesize Ship

The Capesize ship, also known as a Cape, is a type of bulk carrier that can navigate the waters around the Cape of Good Hope or Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America. The Capesize ships refer to vessels with a deadweight capacity between 80,000 and 175,000 tons. However, ships exceeding 175,000 tons can still be classified under this category.

?- Tubarao to Rotterdam

- Tubarao to Qingdao

- West Australia to Qingdao

- Bolivar to Rotterdam

- Gibraltar/Hamburg transatlantic round voyage

- The Continent/Mediterranean trip to China-Japan

- China-Japan trans pacific round voyage

- China-Brazil round voyage

- Saldanha Bay to Qingdao

Major Global Dry Bulk Ports

Dry bulk commodities are generally categorized into major and minor bulks. Major dry bulk commodities, such as iron ore, coal, and grains, account for nearly two-thirds of global dry bulk trade while minor bulks, such as steel products, sugar, and cement, make up the remaining third.?

Globally, coal and iron ore are leading dry bulk commodities, with significant imports by India, China, and Japan for energy and electricity. Grains, a crucial commodity, also make up a substantial portion of the total global dry bulk maritime trade.

Major Global Dry Bulk Ports

- Western Australia: Dampier, Port Hedland, Adelaide

- Brazil: Tubar?o, Santos, Paranaguá, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador

- Indonesia: Cigading, Balikpapan, Samarinda, Tarakan, Bintulu

- Philippines: Cebu, Manila, Davao

- India: Mumbai, Chennai, Visakhapatnam

- Bangladesh: Chittagong

- South Africa: Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Richards Bay

- Angola: Luanda

- Togo: Lomé

- Mozambique: Maputo, Beira

- Gabon: Owendo, Libreville

- Cameroon: Douala

- Nigeria: Lagos

- Ivory Coast: Abidjan

- Senegal: Dakar

- Morocco: Casablanca, Jorf Lasfar

- Algeria: Oran, Algiers, Bejaia

- Netherlands: Amsterdam, Rotterdam

- Singapore: Singapore

- Belgium: Antwerp, Bruges

- United States: Houston, Los Angeles, South Louisiana, Long Beach, Corpus Christi

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