Again, Denmark has improved its place on the list of the world’s largest shipping nations, surpassing the United States to claim the fifth place.
The milestone is coming one and half years after Denmark surpassed Germany on the sixth spot.
Measured by the number of merchant ships sailing under a country’s flag, the list is spearheaded by Greece, whose fleet measures 300.4 million in total deadweight tonnage. Greece is followed by Singapore, China and Japan in the top four spots.
With 83.8 million of total deadweight tonnage, Danish shipping firms exported USD28.4 billion worth of business last year, making shipping one of the country’s largest export industries.
Reaching fifth place on the list shows that the Danish shipping strategy has worked, said Anne H. Steffensen, the CEO of Danish Shipowners’ Association.
“We have seen great growth in the ships operated by Danish shipping firms, and at the same time there are more ships flying the Danish flag than ever before,” Steffensen said.
“The next 5 to 10 years will be crucial in finding the way towards the CO2-neutral ship, which will be a condition for growth in shipping. The knowledge required must come through investment from the industry, targeted research, education and innovative start-ups,” he said.
Simon Kollerup, Denmark’s business minister reiterated that the country must continue to focus strongly on research and innovation in shipping.
Recall that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has agreed that greenhouse gas emissions from shipping in 2050 must be reduced by at least 50 percent compared to the level in 2008.
This was why Danish major, Maersk Line has set a goal of being completely CO2 neutral in 2050.
Denmark is also making its register more attractive to shipowners by developing a digital register of shipping by the end of 2020.
AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE
