by Charlotte Cook, Head Trade Analyst, Plamen Natzkoff, Senior Expert Commodities Analytics, and Daniel Nash, Head of RoRo, VesselsValue

So far, the current year has been a groundbreaking period for the shipping industry and global trade flows, as the world has continued to recover from the onset of the coronavirus pandemic last year.

This half-year review uses VesselsValue trade data (as of July 2021) to delve into some of the reasons for the highs and lows of this year's first six months.

The analysis includes sky-high rates, pent up demand and congestion in the container and bulker markets, while on the other side of the spectrum - sinking rates and weak oil demand in the tanker market.

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