Shipping Industry
| ShipFinex
Apr 20, 2023
12 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Table of contents
1. History
2. Current State
3. Types of Ships and Shipping Methods
4. Major Players in the Shipping Industry
5. Technology in the Maritime Industry
6. Maritime Trends
7. Sustainability in the Shipping Industry
8. Conclusion
9. FAQs
,Shipping Industry
Imagine an industry hauling goods over $14 trillion, controlling 80%
of global trade, and being the cheapest mode of transportation for
goods worldwide- that’s the Shipping Industry for you. As a vital
pillar of the global economy and the driving force behind
globalization, the shipping industry enables the movement of goods
and commodities across continents, facilitating international trade.
It has the lowest carbon footprint among all other modes of
transportation, making it the greenest method among Air, Sea and
Land freight.
The industry encompasses diverse segments, including container
shipping, bulk shipping, tanker shipping, and specialized services
, like LNG, LPG and Chemical shipping. Due to the industry’s
competitiveness, dynamism, and global impact, it is a melting pot of
economic, geopolitical, and regulatory factors, among others.
The industry is especially important for keeping global supply chains
intact, facilitating imports and exports, providing employment
opportunities, and being the growth engine for economies
worldwide. Its efficiency and effectiveness are critical for businesses
to remain competitive. Not many might know this, but the shipping
industry keeps the global powerhouses running by reining in
inflation- a minor change in freight rates can have drastic effects on
the price of commodities worldwide.
In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about
the industry- history, current scenario, trends and everything that
falls in between. As we sailors say,” Ahoy!”, brace yourself for a
tsunami of facts about the trillion-dollar maritime industry.
History:
With the advent of civilization came the need for trade- marking the
beginning of the shipping industry we see today. The first known
instance, so far, has been traced back to the Egyptian civilization,
and their world-famous papyrus boats and rafts, used for local
transportation. However, significant advancements in technology
over the centuries have shaped the industry.