Maritime Freight Transport Market Report 2026

The maritime freight transport market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $395.17 billion in 2025 to $419.14 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.1%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to expansion of global trade volumes, growth of containerization in shipping, development of major port infrastructure, rising demand for cost-effective bulk transport, increasing role of maritime logistics.

The maritime freight transport market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $524.39 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.8%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing investments in green shipping technologies, rising focus on digital maritime operations, expansion of emerging market trade corridors, growing adoption of alternative marine fuels, increasing demand for resilient global supply chains. Major trends in the forecast period include increasing deployment of fuel-efficient cargo vessels, rising adoption of smart port and fleet management systems, growing demand for containerized freight transport, expansion of long-distance maritime trade routes, enhanced focus on emission reduction compliance.

The growth of the seafood export industry is expected to drive the expansion of the maritime freight transport market. Seafood export involves shipping products such as fish, shellfish, and other marine life from one country to another for international sale. This sector is growing due to rising global seafood demand, advancements in aquaculture and fishing technologies, and improvements in cold chain logistics. Maritime freight transport supports seafood export by offering a reliable and efficient method for transporting large quantities of perishable seafood to global markets, ensuring timely delivery and preserving product quality with refrigerated containers. For example, in 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that U.S. seafood exports reached a total value of $5.18 billion and a volume of 1.28 million metric tons, marking a 40% increase from previous years and reflecting strong demand and recovery. Consequently, the expanding seafood export industry is driving growth in the maritime freight transport market.

Leading companies in the maritime freight transport market are introducing fully automated navigational assistants to boost operational efficiency, enhance safety, and minimize human error in maritime operations. These navigational assistants improve route planning, optimize fuel use, and enhance vessel safety through advanced algorithms and real-time data analysis. For example, in January 2024, Orca AI, an Israel-based maritime technology firm, launched SeaPod, a fully automated navigational assistant designed to replicate and enhance human watchkeeping. SeaPod operates continuously, processing information from multiple sources within seconds to evaluate complex marine traffic situations in real time. It identifies, tracks, and classifies targets of various sizes and distances, presenting critical data through an intuitive interface. By automating target detection and risk prioritization, SeaPod significantly reduces the workload and fatigue of bridge officers, improving situational awareness and enabling quicker, more informed decision-making.

In January 2025, ADNOC Logistics and Services plc, a maritime logistics and shipping company based in the UAE, acquired Navig8 Group for roughly $1.04 billion. Through this acquisition, ADNOC Logistics & Services intends to broaden its global maritime freight transportation presence, reinforce its integrated energy logistics capabilities, and improve scale and efficiency across tanker operations and commercial shipping management. Navig8 Group is a UK-based shipping firm that focuses on owning, operating, chartering, and commercially managing tanker vessels for crude oil, refined products, chemicals, and gas, offering comprehensive maritime freight transport and pool management services worldwide.

Major companies operating in the maritime freight transport market are Maersk Line A/S, CMA CGM Group, COSCO SHIPPING Lines Co. Ltd., Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A., Hapag-Lloyd AG, NYK Line (Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha), Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation, ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd., Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd., Seaboard Marine Ltd., Wan Hai Lines Ltd., Evergreen Marine Corporation, HMM Company Limited, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd., Ocean Network Express Holdings Ltd., American President Lines LLC, Matson Inc., Crowley Maritime Corporation, National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri), Samskip Holding B.V., Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line Group, Pacific International Lines, X-Press Feeders Limited, Eimskip, Ark Shipping Inc.

North America was the largest region in the maritime freight transport market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the maritime freight transport market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the maritime freight transport market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The maritime freight transport market includes revenues earned by entities by providing services such as cargo handling, ship chartering, freight forwarding, shipping logistics, customs clearance, and cargo management. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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