Admiralty Lawyer & Attorney

International Shipping Outlook

The sea has almost always been the quickest and cheapest ways of moving goods and people from point A to point B. Over the years, other methods have been developed (rail, plane, etc.) but ships have maintained their popularity. In fact, from 2001 to 2004, the number of cargo ships sailing the open seas increased by 17%. Today's global economy could not function without the assistance of the international shipping industry.

It is generally true that 90% of global trade is carried by sea. No country is completely self sufficient and so can not possibly have all of the raw materials necessary to develop. As such is the case, the last century has seen an increase in the amount of total trade volume. Increased international development as well as the liberalization of countries' economies have played a role in the increase of trade volume as well. Advances in technology have improved the efficiency and speed of shipping goods.

As with any other global industry, there are times when the big picture does not look as rosy as the overall picture does. The 1980s were one of those periods of downturn. Generally speaking though, there was been growth consistently since 1993 with just a slight downturn due to the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s.

The increase in the number of ships plus the growth in total trade volume have lead to an increase in the number of crew members and officers needed by the industry capable of piloting and captaining these massive vessels. With fewer coastal areas contributing new sailors to the cause, countries and employers must to turn to other areas such as inland farms for their new crews. Unfortunately, there is still a massive deficit of crew members and of officers.

The area of admiralty law is often somewhat confusing but if there is an accident involving a ship and you are hurt, the Admiralty lawyers of Williams Kherkher are here to help you sort through the mess and reach a conclusion to your satisfaction and benefit.