The international shipping industry is responsible for the operation of merchant ships which transport goods and passengers by sea. ICS and ISF represent shipowners and ship management companies that operate merchant ships.

The shipping industry is responsible for transporting 90% of the world's trade. The safety record of shipping is the envy of shore-based transport sectors and is by far the most environmentally friendly form of transport. The 40,000 ships that comprise the international trading fleet are technically sophisticated, high value assets and the operation of merchant ships generates an estimated annual income of over US $200 billion in freight rates within the global economy.

The shipping industry is a truly global community. It is intrinsically international; indeed it was the very first global industry. Because of the international nature of shipping it is regulated by United Nations agencies and the International Maritime Organization (which is based in London) in particular. Modern shipping involves companies from every nation on the planet and virtually every nationality is represented in the seafaring population and the industry's shore-based workforce.

There are other closely inter-related sectors of the shipping industry not directly covered by this site. These include: liner agents, chartering brokers, port agents, sale and purchase brokers, maritime insurers and ship surveyors, as well as import/export brokers and a wide range of ancillary industries. For information on maritime sectors not directly concerned with the operation of ships try the Contacts area of this site.