Originally Posted by
Lead Balloon
So who ‘heavily subsidises’ the ships that bring most of Australia’s fuel supply to Australia? Are you labouring under the misconception that they are ‘huge bulk carriers’?
And the container ships that bring in most of Australia’s imported goods?
All of these ship pay a big bag of gold to the Commonwealth as shipping levies, based on their tonnage and the amount of fuel carried (whether as cargo or for ‘own use’).
It was simplifying big ships into bulk carriers ie they carry extremely large amounts, oil tankers and large freighters, container vessels and such all carry bulk loads, that is extremely large loads at small amounts per kg. Aircraft are just not large enough to handle such loads, so watercraft are still the only method.
The ships themselves are not the money makers in the transport chain, the goods they carry are.