Source: Based on data available at ports’ websites and related RORO Market Reports. Note: Port calls do not account for ship size, which could vary.
The number of port calls by RORO car carriers shows a large concentration level, which is a function of car manufacturing and market demand. Two significant clusters of RORO activity can be identified:
- Northeast Asia (Japan, South Korea, China). Major car producers and exporters, in which the role of China as an exporter of electric vehicles is becoming salient. RORO activity is dominantly the outcome of export-oriented car manufacturing.
- Northern Europe (UK, Belgium, Netherlands). Although there is limited car production in Belgium and the Netherlands, they act as large exporters of German cars. In particular, Zeebrugge represents the world’s largest RORO port. The UK has significant activity because of both production (exports) and consumption (imports).
The total number of port calls in European ports within a month stands at approximately 400, with the major ports also including Antwerp, Bremerhaven, Southampton, Livorno, and Barcelona.
North America (United States) shows a more marginal activity level than the major RORO markets. This is attributed to significant domestic production and trade of parts and vehicles with Canada and Mexico, which is mainly land-based. Further, RORO traffic is more dispersed among ports due to the extensive size of the market and the convenience of distributing vehicles from a close RORO port location. The US ports receiving significant numbers of calls include Baltimore, Brunswick, Jacksonville, Newark, and Tacoma.
In the Middle East ports with significant numbers of RoRo car carriers calls include Jebel Ali, Ad Dammam, Mina Khalifa at Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, and Sohar. The region offers various lengths of berthing times per deep-sea vessel call.