Though most of the boom is in bulk carriers, rates for container ships that carry finished products to the U.S. are up, too--as much as 30%.

FORBES: A Bubble in Bulk

The investment bill could rise yet more because of a change in the pattern of trade: in 2014 the Panama Canal opens a second lane, doubling its capacity and allowing it to carry bigger container vessels and bulk ships.

ECONOMIST: American railways

Bulk ships are the mirror image of container ships: they sail for China fully laden and return nearly empty.

ECONOMIST: Maersk orders ten colossal vessels

It has ordered six bulk carriers from a Japanese yard and a couple of smaller container ships from a Korean one.

CNN: BUSINESS FORECAST '96

Its container ships are less exposed to the volatility found in bulk cargo.

FORBES: Magazine Article

We carry break bulk, project and heavy lift cargo, and we do have some container capability for projects.

FORBES: Intermarine Executives Discuss Ship Financing, Piracy, and Global Maritime Trade