The growth of international transport services –
the second largest category of commercial services –
while positive, was hindered by a number of downside
factors, including the continued recession in the
euro area, fragile recovery in the United States, and
the relative deceleration and rebalancing of growth
of the Chinese economy. Preliminary data indicate
that world seaborne trade – a measure of demand
for shipping, port and logistics services – climbed
by 4.3 per cent in 2012.