Strong growth (5.7 per cent) in dry-cargo shipments
remained the mainstay of the expansion in 2012,
driven in particular by continued rapid growth in drybulk
volumes. Fuelled by growing Asian demand
for iron ore and coal and in line with the long-term
trend, major dry-bulk shipments expanded at the
rate of 7.2 per cent. China, which has contributed
significantly to the growth of seaborne trade in
recent years, continues to generate impressive
import volumes. Although iron-ore import growth has
moderated compared with high previous levels, coal
has stepped in to fill the gap.