2026-08-01 · percent of global trade by weight

Ships move most physical trade volume

Containers are visible — bulk commodities dominate ton-miles.

Sea lanes carry the physical weight of the world economy: about 80% of global trade by weight moves by ship, per UNCTAD's 2026 Review of Maritime Transport. Containers are the visible face of that flow, but bulk commodities — grain, ore, crude oil — dominate ton-miles. The remaining 20% travels by air, road, and rail.

1 cell = 0.1 percent of global trade by weight (0.1% of seaborne trade share) · 1,000 cells

Context

UNCTAD's Review of Maritime Transport is the standard reference for how world trade splits across transport modes. Its figures put seaborne trade at roughly 80% of global trade by weight, leaving about 20% for air, road, and rail combined.

Containers draw attention because they carry the consumer goods people see on shelves, but ton-miles tell a different story: bulk commodities such as crude oil, iron ore, coal, and grain dominate the physical volume crossing the oceans.

The 20% that stays off the water still matters. Air freight moves high-value, time-sensitive cargo, while road and rail carry overland and regional flows — the grid keeps that remainder visible against the maritime majority.

UNCTAD Review of Maritime Transport shares.