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Who buys China’s cargo and passenger ships? Export destinations 2024

In 2024, China exported $26.5 billion of cargo and passenger ships (12.9 million tonnes), 31% of the world total. Its main destinations were Liberia (35%), the Marshall Islands (12%) and Malta (11%). China was the world’s largest exporter of cargo and passenger ships.

Summary

Value
$26.5billion
Tonnes
12.9million tonnes
Share of world total
31%
World rank
1st
Routes to the main destinations. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Destinations

The 20 main destinations in the latest year.

PartnerValue (USD billions)TonnesUSD per tonneShareMode
Liberia9.2Tonnes: 3,591,242USD per tonne: $2,55934.7%Sea
Marshall Islands3.1Tonnes: 1,145,794USD per tonne: $2,74411.9%Sea
Malta2.8Tonnes: 898,863USD per tonne: $3,13210.6%Sea
Panama2.3Tonnes: 1,554,603USD per tonne: $1,4878.7%Sea
France1.2Tonnes: 737,873USD per tonne: $1,6244.5%Sea
Germany1.1Tonnes: 457,710USD per tonne: $2,4684.3%Sea
South Korea0.91Tonnes: 1,132,662USD per tonne: $8033.4%Sea
Indonesia0.48Tonnes: 348,123USD per tonne: $1,3811.8%Sea
Norway0.43Tonnes: 2,351USD per tonne: $181,5221.6%Air
Belgium re-exports0.33Tonnes: 142,872USD per tonne: $2,2751.2%Sea
Canada0.32Tonnes: 12,931USD per tonne: $24,9171.2%Air
Mexico0.32Tonnes: 86,641USD per tonne: $3,7181.2%Sea
Thailand0.31Tonnes: 444,759USD per tonne: $7061.2%Sea
Cyprus0.31Tonnes: 11,442USD per tonne: $27,1981.2%Sea
Sweden0.24Tonnes: 55,634USD per tonne: $4,3720.92%Sea
Hong Kong re-exports0.24Tonnes: 144,429USD per tonne: $1,6580.9%Land
United Arab Emirates0.24Tonnes: 207,275USD per tonne: $1,1490.9%Sea
Russia0.23Tonnes: 348,047USD per tonne: $6740.89%Sea
Portugal0.2Tonnes: 62,424USD per tonne: $3,2630.77%Sea
Poland0.18Tonnes: 97,026USD per tonne: $1,9050.7%Sea

Trend

Who it sells to

Liberia has been its main destination since 2021

Value in USD billions. The five largest destinations in 2024.

  • Liberia 9.2
  • Marshall Islands 3.1
  • Malta 2.8
  • Panama 2.3
  • France 1.2

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
Liberia0.039.2
Marshall Islands03.1
Malta02.8
Panama< 0.012.3
France01.2

Sources and methodology

Other products of this country

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), which reconciles what exporters and importers report: countries that stopped reporting (Russia since 2022) appear with their partners’ data. FOB values in current US dollars; tonnes when BACI reports them. The price per tonne is the value of the rows with a weight divided by that weight. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Data up to 2024.

Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Belgium re-export goods from other countries: their figures include transit.

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