9 Facts about the Greek Merchant Fleet Today

[Melenios]

9 Facts about the Greek Merchant Fleet Today



(from The Hellenic Merchant Maritime Sector: A Historical and Business Overview by Ioannis Michaletos )

1.) In 2004, 13.5 billion Euros were absorbed by Greece from the merchant fleet.

2.) Approximately 23.5 percent of the world’s oil tankers of 73.8 mil. Tn. Dwt belong to Greek ship owners. This is as large as the US and Japanese fleets combined.

3.) Some 20 percent of the world’s ships in gross tonnage over 1000 tn. Dwt belong to Hellenic ship owners. This is around 60 percent of EU 25 combined fleets.

4.) The largest Hellenic shipping conglomerate nowadays, that of the Tsakos family, has a fleet of around 8 million tn. Dwt. This is two times larger than the entire French fleet.

5.) Greek ships transport 70 percent of Chinese imported oil and natural gas.

6.) Around 50,000 professionals work for Hellenic shipping companies in the City of London.

7.) Around $20 billion were spent in Japanese shipyards for the construction of new ships for Greek shipowners, only for the period 2001-2005.

8.) Around 450,000 employees and their family members depend on the merchant navy and related activities in Greece nowadays.

9.) The port of Piraeus is the third largest in the world in terms of passenger transportation. In 2004, some 15 million passengers were transported to the islands via Greek ferries.