To sum up, dry-bulk commodities, including in
particular major bulks such as iron and coal, are the
backbone of international seaborne trade and have
been the major engine of growth reflecting in particular
the fast-growing demand from emerging developing
regions. Exporters of dry-bulk commodities are rather
diversified, with suppliers spanning different regions
and with smaller new players increasingly emerging
on the market. On the import side however, there
seems to be a greater concentration, with demand
emanating mainly from emerging developing regions,
namely in Asia, in particular China. Another feature is
the high concentration in the structure of the global
import demand, as much of global growth is being entirely driven by iron-ore and coal shipments.
Dependence on one market, in particular China and
to a lesser extent India, as well as on two single
commodities can be problematic in the long run,
as growth patterns in these countries change and
their import demand moderates or slackens. In this
context, and in the absence of significant growth in
import demand from other markets that could offset
the decline in China and India, the futur of the drybulk
shipping market remains uncertain. For now
however, existing indicators are pointing to continued
growth in dry-bulk commodity trade, including in that
of minor bulk in tandem with current growth patterns,
urbanization trends and population expansion in
developing regions.