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Exported Cruise Ships by Country

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Cruise ship exports
Cruise deck sailing
Worldwide sales for exported cruise ships by country totaled US$10.4 billion in 2018. That dollar amount reflects a 95.4% increase for all cruise ship exporters over the five-year period starting in 2014 when cruise ship exports were worth $5.3 billion.

From 2017 to 2018, the value of globally exported cruise ships gained 30.1%.

Among continents, Europe sold the highest dollar worth of exported cruise ships during 2018 with shipments valued at $9.5 billion or 91.3% of the worldwide total. In second place were Asian exporters at 6.7%. Smaller percentages came from suppliers in Latin America (1.5%) plus the Caribbean, Oceania (0.2%) led by Marshall Islands and New Zealand, Africa (0.1%) then North America (0.02%).

For research purposes, the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code prefix is 890110 for cruise ships, excursion boats and similar vessels.

Exported Cruise Ships by Country

Countries

Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of cruise ships during 2018.

  1. Italy: US$2.9 billion (28.2% of exported cruise ships)
  2. France: $2.4 billion (23.6%)
  3. Germany: $2.4 billion (23.1%)
  4. Finland: $717.8 million (6.9%)
  5. Poland: $334.2 million (3.2%)
  6. Norway: $236.8 million (2.3%)
  7. India: $167.5 million (1.6%)
  8. Turkey: $161.3 million (1.6%)
  9. Romania: $144.6 million (1.4%)
  10. Bahamas: $115.7 million (1.1%)
  11. China: $109.7 million (1.1%)
  12. Greece: $97.3 million (0.9%)
  13. Netherlands: $85.3 million (0.8%)
  14. Japan: $52.5 million (0.5%)
  15. Philippines: $43.8 million (0.4%)

By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 96.7% of global cruise ships exports in 2018.

Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing cruise ships exporters since 2014 were: Bahamas (up 2,892,975%), France (up 20,098%), Turkey (up 597.8%) and Romania (up 470.1%).

Three countries posted declines in their exported cruise ships sales namely: Philippines (down -94.8%), India (down -27.5%) and China (down -18.9%).

Advantages

The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for cruise ships during 2018. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the surplus between the value of each country’s exported cruise ships and its import purchases for that same commodity.

  1. France: US$2.3 billion (net export surplus, reversing a -$26.4 million deficit in 2014)
  2. Italy: $1.7 billion (up 161.2 since 2014%)
  3. Germany: $1.6 billion (up 51.9%)
  4. Finland: $717.8 million (up 34.1%)
  5. Norway: $209.8 million (up 35.3%)
  6. Turkey: $158.5 million (up 725.9%)
  7. Romania: $144.6 million (up 470.1%)
  8. Poland: $124 million (down -3.4%)
  9. China: $85.5 million (down -33.3%)
  10. Japan: $52.5 million (up 0.2%)
  11. India: $46 million (up 465.1%)
  12. Chile: $26.3 million (reversing a -$14.6 million deficit)
  13. Indonesia: $22.4 million (down -81.6%)
  14. Sweden: $21.1 million (reversing a -$64.6 million deficit)
  15. Marshall Islands: $19.1 million (reversing a -$292.2 million deficit)

Italy has the highest surplus in the international trade of cruise ships. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms Italy’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.

Opportunities

The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for cruise ships during 2018. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the deficit between the value of each country’s imported cruise ship purchases and its exports for that same commodity.

  1. Malaysia: -US$135.5 million (net export deficit down -0.2% since 2014)
  2. Denmark: -$73.2 million (down -71.1%)
  3. Switzerland: -$70.5 million (up 63,974%)
  4. South Korea: -$64.4 million (reversing a $36.6 million surplus)
  5. Netherlands: -$62.6 million (reversing a $10.6 million surplus)
  6. Spain: -$49.7 million (reversing a $13 million surplus)
  7. Thailand: -$48 million (up 270.7%)
  8. Israel: -$42.1 million (up 35.4%)
  9. Canada: -$32.2 million (down -54.3%)
  10. Cyprus: -$21.1 million (up 325.2%)
  11. Nigeria: -$19.4 million (down -106.4%)
  12. Macao: -$15.7 million (no 2014 data)
  13. Mongolia: -$15.3 million (no 2014 data)
  14. Croatia: -$12.6 million (reversing a $38.6 million surplus)
  15. Philippines: -$11.6 million (reversing an $844.4 million surplus)

Malaysia incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of cruise ships. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights Malaysia’s strong competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for cruise ship-making countries that help satisfy the powerful demand.

Cruise Lines


Below are cruise lines currently in operation, with the country where their headquarters is located within parenthesis.

  • AIDA Cruises (Germany)
  • AmaWaterways (United States)
  • American Cruise Lines (United States)
  • Avalon Waterways (United States)
  • Azamara Club Cruises (United States)
  • Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line (United States)
  • Birka Line (Finland)
  • Carnival Cruise Line (United States/ United Kingdom)
  • CDF Croisières de France (France)
  • Celebrity Cruises (United States)
  • Celestyal Cruises (Cyprus)
  • Compagnie du Ponant (France)
  • Costa Cruises (Italy)
  • Cruise & Maritime Voyages (United Kingdom)
  • Crystal Cruises (Japan)
  • Cunard Line (United Kingdom)
  • Disney Cruise Line (United Kingdom)
  • European Waterways (United Kingdom)
  • Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines (United Kingdom)
  • Hapag-Lloyd Cruises (Germany)
  • Holland America Line (United States (originally Netherlands))
  • Hurtigruten (Norway)
  • Kristina Cruises (Finland)
  • Majestic International Cruises (Greece)
  • The Majestic Line (United Kingdom)
  • Mano Maritime (Israel)
  • MSC Cruises (Italy)
  • Norwegian Cruise Line (United States (originally Norway))
  • Oceania Cruises (United States)
  • Orion Expedition Cruises (Australia)
  • P&O Cruises (United Kingdom)
  • P&O Cruises Australia (Australia)
  • Paul Gauguin Cruises (United States)
  • Peter Deilmann Cruises (Germany)
  • Phoenix Reisen (Germany)
  • Polar Star Expeditions (Canada)
  • Portside (Brazil)
  • Poseidon Expeditions (United Kingdom)
  • Princess Cruises (United States)
  • Pullmantur Cruises (Spain)
  • Quark Expeditions (United States)
  • Regent Seven Seas Cruises (United States)
  • Royal Caribbean International (United States)
  • Saga Cruises (United Kingdom)
  • Seabourn Cruise Line (United States)
  • SeaDream Yacht Club (Norway)
  • Silversea Cruises (United States/ Italy)
  • Star Cruises (Malaysia)
  • Swan Hellenic (United Kingdom)
  • Thomson Cruises (United Kingdom)
  • Transocean Tours (Germany)
  • TUI Cruises (Germany)
  • Uniworld River Cruises (United States)
  • Un-Cruise Adventures (United States)
  • Viking Cruises (United States)
  • Windstar Cruises (United States)


 

See also Car Exports by Country, Helicopters Exports by Country and Truck Exports by Country

Research Sources:
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on June 5, 2019

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on June 5, 2019

The World Factbook, Field Listing: Exports – Commodities, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on June 5, 2019

Trade Map, International Trade Centre. Accessed on June 5, 2019

Wikipedia, List of cruise lines. Accessed on June 18, 2018