Latest trade
$147.4BGlobal sector valueHS2 sector intelligence
Ships and boats
sector trade overview
A clear view of the ships and boats economy: scale, momentum, market concentration, leading routes, and the products within it.
Explore the workspace Reported trade intelligence
Refreshed 2026-07-20
Refreshed 2026-07-20
The numbers at a glanceLatest reported year · 2024
Annual change
+4.8%Latest year on yearExporters
187Active reporting countriesImporters
198Active reporting countriesHS6 products
18Classifications in sectorThe sector read
$147.4B in trade, with +6.6% annualized growth over three years.
Ships and boats is recorded across 6,415 active corridors, with 187 exporters and 198 importers in the latest available year.
Market signalGrowing+6.1% five-year CAGR
Annual trend
Momentum across three decades
Reported global trade from 1995 to 2024. Missing years remain unavailable rather than estimated. Read the methodology ↗
Top trade corridors
Where this sector moves
The leading exporter-to-importer relationships by latest reported sector trade value. See data sources ↗
Latest reported relationshipsTop 10 by trade value
| Rank | Exporter | Importer | Trade value | Growth | HS6 | Distance | FTA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChinaCHN | LiberiaLBR | $9.2B | +50.6% | 7 | 13,466 km | No |
| 2 | ChinaCHN | China, Hong Kong Special Administrative RegionHKG | $7.1B | +27.3% | 14 | 1,226 km | Yes |
| 3 | Republic of KoreaKOR | LiberiaLBR | $5.2B | +38.1% | 2 | 13,479 km | No |
| 4 | ChinaCHN | SingaporeSGP | $4.4B | +16.4% | 15 | 3,797 km | Yes |
| 5 | JapanJPN | PanamaPAN | $3.9B | -3.2% | 5 | 13,584 km | No |
| 6 | FranceFRA | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | $3.7B | +142.7% | 11 | 5,852 km | No |
| 7 | Republic of KoreaKOR | FranceFRA | $3.2B | +67.9% | 7 | 8,989 km | Yes |
| 8 | ChinaCHN | Marshall IsdsMHL | $3.2B | +26.7% | 8 | 5,827 km | No |
| 9 | ChinaCHN | MaltaMLT | $2.8B | +56.9% | 7 | 9,375 km | No |
| 10 | Republic of KoreaKOR | SingaporeSGP | $2.7B | +63.4% | 9 | 4,664 km | Yes |
Market structure
Where supply and demand concentrate
Exporter and importer rankings are separated so scale on one side of the market is not mistaken for demand on the other. Check coverage ↗
Top exporters2024 ranking
| Rank | Country | Exports | Partners | HS6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChinaCHN | $44.4B | 185 | 18 |
| 2 | Republic of KoreaKOR | $24.8B | 108 | 18 |
| 3 | JapanJPN | $9.9B | 143 | 17 |
| 4 | ItalyITA | $6.7B | 145 | 18 |
| 5 | FranceFRA | $6.5B | 154 | 18 |
| 6 | Saudi ArabiaSAU | $5.1B | 37 | 18 |
| 7 | NetherlandsNLD | $5.0B | 132 | 18 |
| 8 | GermanyDEU | $4.4B | 131 | 18 |
| 9 | IndiaIND | $3.1B | 81 | 18 |
| 10 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | $2.8B | 177 | 18 |
Top importers2024 ranking
| Rank | Country | Imports | Partners | HS6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LiberiaLBR | $16.8B | 26 | 15 |
| 2 | SingaporeSGP | $11.7B | 60 | 18 |
| 3 | USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA | $9.7B | 102 | 18 |
| 4 | Marshall IsdsMHL | $9.3B | 36 | 15 |
| 5 | China, Hong Kong Special Administrative RegionHKG | $7.9B | 45 | 17 |
| 6 | PanamaPAN | $7.7B | 44 | 17 |
| 7 | MaltaMLT | $7.2B | 50 | 18 |
| 8 | World excl. Intra-EUWXD | $6.0B | 55 | 16 |
| 9 | FranceFRA | $5.5B | 108 | 18 |
| 10 | GermanyDEU | $4.8B | 92 | 18 |
HS6 product coverage
The classifications inside this sector
Explore the six-digit product classifications that make up HS2 89.
29 classifications shownBrowse the product workspace ↗
Cruise ships, excursion boats and similar vessels, principally designed for the transport of persons, ferry boats of all kindsHS6 890110
TankersHS6 890120
Vessels, refrigerated: other than tankersHS6 890130
Vessels: n.e.s. in heading no. 8901, for the transport of goods and other vessels for the transport of both persons and goodsHS6 890190
Fishing vessels, factory ships and other vessels: for processing or preserving fishery productsHS6 890200
Yachts and other vessels: for pleasure or sports, rowing boats and canoes, inflatableHS6 890310
Yachts and other vessels: for pleasure or sports, inflatable (including rigid hull inflatable), fitted or designed to be fitted with a motor, unladen (net) weight (excluding the motor) not exceeding 100kgHS6 890311
Yachts and other vessels: for pleasure or sports, inflatable (including rigid hull inflatable), not designed to be used with a motor and unladen (net) weight not exceeding 100kgHS6 890312
Yachts and other vessels: for pleasure or sports, inflatable (including rigid hull inflatable), unladen (net) weight exceeding 100kgHS6 890319
Sailboats: (other than inflatable) with or without auxiliary motor, for pleasure or sports, of a length not exceeding 7.5mHS6 890321
Sailboats: (other than inflatable) with or without auxiliary motor, for pleasure or sports, of a length exceeding 7.5m but not exceeding 24mHS6 890322
Sailboats: (other than inflatable) with or without auxiliary motor, for pleasure or sports, of a length exceeding 24mHS6 890323
Motorboats: (other than outboard motorboats), for pleasure or sports, other than inflatable, of a length not exceeding 7.5mHS6 890331
Motorboats: (other than outboard motorboats), for pleasure or sports, other than inflatable, of a length exceeding 7.5m but not exceeding 24mHS6 890332
Motorboats: (other than outboard motorboats), for pleasure or sports, other than inflatable, of a length exceeding 24mHS6 890333
Sailboats: with or without auxiliary motor, for pleasure or sports, other than inflatableHS6 890391
Motorboats: (other than outboard motorboats), for pleasure or sports, other than inflatableHS6 890392
Vessels: (other than sailboats and motorboats), for pleasure or sports, other than inflatable, of a length not exceeding 7.5mHS6 890393
Yachts and other vessels: for pleasure or sports, rowing boats and canoes, n.e.s. in heading no. 8903, other than inflatableHS6 890399
Tugs and pusher craftHS6 890400
DredgersHS6 890510
Floating or submersible drilling or production platformsHS6 890520
Vessels: light, fire-floats, floating cranes and other vessels, the navigability of which is subsidiary to their main function, floating docksHS6 890590
Vessels: other, including warships and lifeboats, other than rowing boatsHS6 890600
Vessels: warshipsHS6 890610
Vessels: other, including lifeboats other than rowing boats, other than warshipsHS6 890690
Rafts: inflatableHS6 890710
Floating structures: tanks, coffer-dams, landing stages, buoys and beaconsHS6 890790
Vessels and other floating structures: for breaking upHS6 890800
Definitions and coverage
Read the numbers with context
Clear definitions keep reported observations and calculated indicators in their proper context. Read our Responsible AI principles ↗
Reported values
Trade values describe reported merchandise trade for the HS2 classification. They are not company-level sales, retail quotes, or shipment records.
Calculated indicators
Growth, concentration, volatility, and peak comparisons are calculated from reported observations and should be read with their coverage period.
Missing data
A missing observation remains unavailable. It is not filled, interpolated, or presented as a forecast.
Coverage: 1995–2024 · Data refreshed 2026-07-20 09:34:08
Data source
OECD trade statistics with CEPII context
OECD (2025), Balanced international merchandise trade statistics (BIMTS) - HS2017-6D, OECD Data Explorer (accessed on 2026-08-27). OECD BIMTS is the primary trade series for this view. Supporting bilateral trade context uses CEPII BACI bilateral trade flows (202601) under Etalab 2.0 Open Licence. Yugalinks presents derived views of reported observations and calculated indicators. Data terms: OECD Terms & Conditions.