The world of ocean shipping, freight, maritime, logistics, supply chain, and trade is a complex world with stakeholders having to navigate a quagmire of processes, documents, regulations, and standards..
Many users in these industries often struggle to get the correct, useful, and latest information like regulations, and guidelines and know which key industry bodies they must look to for reference and guidance..
As this site is THE DEFINITIVE online resource for all things shipping and freight, here is a listing of key industry bodies in shipping, freight, maritime, logistics, supply chain, and trade that readers can refer to as and when required..
Click on each title to see the list..
Shipping
- World Shipping Council (WSC) – Represents the interests of the international liner shipping industry..
- Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) – Drives digitalization and standardization in the container shipping industry..
- Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) – The world’s largest international shipping association, providing contracts and advice to the maritime industry..
- The Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers – the only internationally recognised professional body in the commercial maritime arena and it represents shipbrokers, ship managers and agents throughout the world.. ICS is the only qualification that covers all of the above-mentioned industries..
- The Nautical Institute – Promotes professionalism, best practices, and safety in the maritime industry..
- Future of International Trade (FIT Alliance) – is a grouping of five founding members: BIMCO, DCSA, FIATA, ICC and Swift with the key objectives to raise awareness and accelerate adoption of a standards-based electronic bill of lading (eBL)..
- ITIC is the leading provider of professional indemnity insurance to the marine sector providing services to liner/port agents, shipbrokers, ship and crew managers, naval architects..
Freight
- International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) -Represents freight forwarders and logistics companies worldwide..
- International Road Transport Union (IRU) – Represents the road transport industry worldwide..
- International Federation of Customs Brokers Associations (IFCBA) – Represents customs brokers and promotes trade facilitation and compliance..
- International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) – is a democratic, affiliate-led federation recognised as the world’s leading transport authority to protect and improve workers’ lives and futures..
- Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF) – is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to international rail transport and is the oldest international organisation in the sector.. OTIF develops unified railway law to connect Europe, Asia and Africa for 130 years..
Maritime
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- International Maritime Organization (IMO) – A specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping..
- International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) – Represents the global shipping industry to international organizations and governments..
- International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO) – Represents the interests of independent tanker owners in the global shipping industry..
- International Salvage Union (ISU) – Represents marine salvors in international forums and promotes safety at sea..
- Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (IMarEST) – Represents marine professionals in engineering, science, and technology..
- International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) – Represents marine insurers and promotes safety and best practices in marine insurance..
- International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) – Provides technical support and guidance on maritime safety and environmental protection..
- International Group of P&I Clubs (IG P&I) – Provides liability cover for approximately 90% of the world’s ocean-going tonnage..
- International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO) – represents the interests of quality dry cargo shipowners and has consultative status at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) since 1993..
- Federation of National Associations of Ship Brokers & Agents (FONASBA) – provides a united voice for the world’s ship brokers and agents.. promoting fair and equitable practices.. FONASBA has consultative status at the IMO, UNCTAD and WCO..
- Comité Maritime International (CMI) – is an international NGO established to contribute to the unification of maritime law and promote the establishment of national associations of maritime law..
- International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) – is an independent judicial body established by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea for jurisdiction over any dispute concerning the interpretation or application of the Convention..
- International Labour Organization (ILO) – is a specialised agency of the United Nations (UN) which facilitates the development of labour standards and policies and assists the maritime industry under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) which plays an important role for seafarers and ship owners under the “seafarers’ bill of rights”..
- International Maritime Employers’ Council (IMEC) – Represents shipowners and operators in labour relations with maritime professionals..
- International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) – is the global trade association of choice for port authorities and operators, representing their interests at the regulatory level representing around 177 ports and 147 port-related businesses in 84 countries handling over 60% of the world’s sea-borne trade and container traffic..
- International Port Community Association (IPCSA) – Represents Sea and Air Port Authorities, Port Community System, and Single Window Operators which enable the electronic flow of Business to Business, Business to Government and Government to Government information..
Logistics
- International Warehouse Logistics Association (IWLA) – Represents the interests of warehouse-based logistics providers..
- Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) – Provides education, research, and networking opportunities to the logistics and supply chain management community..
- Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) – Represents the temperature-controlled logistics industry..
- International Logistics and Supply Chain Congress (ILSC) – A platform for sharing knowledge and networking among logistics and supply chain professionals..
- Freight Transport Association (FTA) / Logistics UK – Represents the interests of the logistics industry in the UK..
Supply Chain
- Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) – Provides supply chain education, certification, and networking opportunities..
- Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) – Promotes best practices in procurement and supply chain management..
- Institute for Supply Management (ISM) – Provides education and certification in supply management..
- The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) – Provides education and networking for professionals in logistics, transport, and supply chain..
Trade
- United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) – Promotes the development-friendly integration of developing countries into the world economy..
- World Trade Organization (WTO) – Deals with the global rules of trade between nations..
- International Trade Centre (ITC) – Provides trade-related technical assistance to developing countries..
- United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) – is the core legal body of the United Nations system in the field of international trade law specializing in the modernization and harmonization of rules on international business..
- World Customs Organization (WCO) – Provides leadership and guidance on customs matters..
- International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) – Promotes international trade and investment through the establishment of rules and standards..
- United States Council for International Business (USCIB) – Advocates for open markets, competitiveness, and innovation on behalf of US companies..
- ICC Digital Standards Initiative (DSI) – accelerates the development of a globally harmonised, digitised trade environment and creates digital standards through its Key Trade Documents and Data Elements (KTDDE) initiative..
- Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) – a global financial messaging service using a set of message standards that serves as a common language for international finance messaging..