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01.02.23
As the sixth largest merchant fleet in the world, the German Shipowners’ Association (VDR) represents German maritime shipping in Berlin,...
Press
03.04.23

VDR welcomes EU’s decision to continue to recognise Filipino seafarer certificates

The German Shipowners’ Association (VDR) welcomes the European Commission’s decision of 31 March 2023 to continue to recognise certificates...
Press
15.02.23

German shipping: sustainably into the future as a strong maritime hub

Today, the German Shipowners’ Association (VDR) released up-to-date figures on the state of the shipping sector in Germany.
Press
30.11.22

Provisional agreement on EU emissions trading for shipping

German Shipowners welcome the provisional agreement on EU emissions trading for shipping

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Shipping in numbers

  • 90 percent

    of global trade is transported by sea: without shipping there would be virtually no exchange of goods in the world

  • Only just over two percent

    shipping accounts for just over two percent of global CO2 emissions. And while maritime trade continues to grow, emissions are declining

  • 1,800 ships

    belong to the German merchant fleet - making it the seventh largest in the world

  • 48.9 percent

    Almost half of the ships in the German fleet sail under the flag of an EU member state

  • More than 500

    young people start training on land or on board in the German shipping industry every year

  • 1st place

    in container shipping: Germany has the largest fleet of container ships worldwide

  • 80 percent

    of German shipping companies have fewer than ten ships – most are small and medium-sized enterprises, closely rooted in their region

Press & Publications

The VDR offers you numerous graphics and data material from the areas of labor and value creation, the German merchant fleet, shipping...
The award-winning association magazine "Deutsche Seeschifffahrt" is published 4 times a year. The most important topics of...