THE SHIPPING TRADE OF THE WORLD.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 75, 25 February 1884, Page 2

THE SHIPPING TRADE OF THE WORLD.

Some interesting statistics have been prepared by a shipping journal at Marseilles, the Semaphore, as to the shipping trade of the world. According to this return, Great Btitain, possesses 17,875 sailing vessels, with a total burden of 5,271,160 tons; the United States, 6,214, with a total burden of 2,000,218 tons ; Norway, 4,003, with a total burden of 1,366,941 tons; Italy, 8,084, with a total burden of 915,019 tons ; Germany, 2,614, with a total burden of 891,550 tons; Russia, 2,434, with a total burden of 452,816 tons; and France, 2,131, with a total burden of 468,272 tons. The countries which come next in order of importance are Sweden, Greece, Holland, Spain, Austria - Hungary, Denmark, Portugal, Turkey, and Belgium. Altogether there are 48,704 sailing vessels, with a total burden of 13,647,377 tons, showing a diminution within the last five years of 959 vessels and of 455,723 tons burden. Twenty-nine nations are classed as owning steamers, Great Britain having more than half of the whole number and two-thirds of the total tonnage. The number of steamers is given as being 7,764, with a gross burden of 9,232,006 tons, and a net burden of 6,037,164 tons, Great Britain owning 4,694, with a net tonnaOe of 3,822,708; France comes second with 458 steamers, of 444,265 tons net ; the United States third, with 422 steamers, of 374,314 tons net; and Germany fourth, with 420 steamers, of 345,103 tons net. Next in order of importance come Spain, Italy, Holland, Russia, Austria-Hungary, Norway, Sweeden, Greece, Egypt, Portugal, and Turkey. The increase in the number of steamers within the last five years has been 1,867, with 3,052.161 gross, and 2,015,295 net tonnage. Putting steamers and sailing-vessels together, the total is 43,838, with a total burden of close upon 23,000,000 tons.