a different picture emerges, however, when one considers the contribution of these market segments to the value of world seaborne trade. While recent data, including for 2011, are not readily available, existing estimates for 2007 may provide some insight into the distribution of world seaborne trade by value and allow for some comparisons to be made.
In 2007, it was not tanker cargo (oil and gas) that accounted for the largest share of global trade, but containerized cargo, with more than 50 per cent of the total, this reflecting the higher value of goods carried in containers. Tanker trade accounted for less than 25 per cent, while general and dry cargo accounted for 20 per cent and six per cent of the value, respectively More recent analysis of the 2008 and 2009 United Nations Trade data shows an increase in the value of dry bulk cargo reflecting to a large extent the strong import demand for these commodities from emerging developing countries, in particular China.