Environnement et commerce associé

In 2023, trade in ocean goods reached $899 billion while trade in services reached $1.3 trillion, making $2.2 trillion in total. Alongside well-known ocean sectors such as tourism (33%) and maritime transport (22%), the ‘high-technology and other manufactures’ sector represented a large share (16%) of total ocean trade. The latter sector comprises ocean products covering fishing, pharmaceuticals, marine sports, clean energy and electrical equipment. 

In 2024, global trade in total ocean-related services witnessed a strong 13 per cent growth. Exports of marine and coastal tourism were 13 per cent up, and exports of maritime freight and passenger transport recorded a 9 per cent annual increase. Port services, related infrastructure and logistical services exports were 23 per cent higher in 2024 than in the previous year.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused marine and coastal tourism to plummet by 70 per cent. Exports of maritime passenger transport and of port, related infrastructure and logistics services were also affected. Marine and coastal tourism thereafter recovered over three years, albeit growing at a slower pace than exports of maritime passenger transport. Trade in maritime freight transport and port services saw a considerable drop in the year 2023. In 2024, all segments of maritime services international trade recorded ample growth.

The decline in ocean services contrasts with exports of ocean goods, which were largely resilient to the COVID-19 pandemic and grew by 3.7% in 2023.

More than three quarters of global ocean goods exports are manufactured products, notably ships and port equipment, and high-technology and other manufactures (such as marine-based pharmaceuticals, sport equipment, precision instruments, integrated circuits and clean energy machinery).