Greece takes back the sea. This year Athens regained the world record in the field of merchant fleet, being able to count on 164 million gross tonnage. In second place is Japan, with 159,5 million, followed by China, Germany and South Korea.
In 2000, after years of unchallenged Greek domination, Japan had topped the top spot through a series of signings. Between 2004 and 2007 the Japanese contracted heavy debts and with the crisis of 2008 maritime trade fell sharply. Greece, more cautious, has used the liquidity saved to buy new ships, thus surpassing Japan in total tonnage.
Economist Martin Stopford, a leading expert on the subject, said in a May 2 report that a quarter of tankers fly the Greek flag. The president of the Union of Greek Shipowners recalled the unchallenged control of Greece in the naval sector which lasted more than one hundred years. Indeed, Greece currently controls 16,25% of the world fleet and almost 40% of the European fleet. A good revenge, even at sea.
