The Real Economic Impact of Mega-Container Ships

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is an international organisation with 34 member countries that aims to analyse and stimulate economic progress with the goal of influencing international transport policy.

Covering sections such as Mega-ships: trends and rational, Mega-ships and maritime transport, Ports and infrastructure adaptations, Mega-ships and peaks and Mega-ships and the transport chain; the five chapter report provides the most in-depth analysis on the contemporary issue of mega-ships ever seen.

“A comprehensive overview of the impacts of mega container ships was long overdue” said Olaf Merk, Administrator, Ports and Shipping at the ITF.

“I hope that this report will trigger debate and constructive dialogue between carriers, operators and ports. The main questions on the table include: how to deal with challenges of these mega-ships, and how can optimal supply chain configurations be reached?”

Representatives from across the industry feature in the report, with spokespeople from Maersk, PSA International, and the World Shipping Council featuring, as well as a number of port and terminal executives also offering insight and opinion.

Issues primarily caused by mega-ships revolve around the huge capacities they bring to ports causing congestion, as well as the increase in ship sizes having a cascading effect down to smaller trade lanes and ports as bigger ships are increasingly free to be used within smaller economies of scale.

Related: The World’s Biggest Container Ship (for now!)