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Benefits of International Shipping
Environmentally Sustainable
International Shipping is sustainable and environmentally proactive.
Shipping has the lowest environmental impact and the highest level of energy efficiency of all the forms of commercial transportation.
DETAILSA ship can carry one ton of goods a distance of 250 kilometres for every litre of fuel it consumes, compared to 100 kilometres for a freight train and 30 kilometres for a truck. The industry has also recorded a substantial reduction in marine pollution over the last two decades, despite a massive increase in the volume of world seaborne trade. At the same time, the industry continues to move foreward on the environmental front, with a view to further minimizing its impacts with respect to such key issues as air emissions, fuel efficiency, and operational discharges.
Safe and Secure
International Shipping is committed to safety.
A commitment to safety has long been a hallmark of every aspect of marine transportation, making international shipping one of the world’s most heavily regulated industries.
DETAILSThe industry’s main regulator is the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which is the United Nations agency responsible for ensuring the safety of life at sea and protecting the marine environment. The IMO has developed a comprehensive framework of global maritime safety regulations that are enforced on a worldwide basis. These regulations are supplemented by those of the International Labour Organization (ILO), which is responsible for developing labour standards that are applicable to seafarers throughout the world.
Facilitator of International Trade
International Shipping is an essential service to world trade.
Shipping is essential to the world economy. Without shipping, the ability to trade between continents, to transport huge quantities of raw materials, and to import and export affordable food and manufactured goods would come to a grinding halt.
DETAILSShips are the primary transportation tools of international trade because much of the world’s surface is covered by water and there are simply no comparable means of accessing other continents at the relatively low cost afforded by marine transportation. Immense tonnages of oil, primary commodities, and manufactured goods are carried by sea day in and day out, year after year, and over very long distances – safely, inexpensively and efficiently. Indeed, there are about 50,000 merchant ships trading throughout the world, carrying every kind of cargo conceivable and manned by over a million seafarers of virtually every nationality.
Briefs and Submissions
Submission to Transport Canada on Strengthening One Canadian Economy Through Trade and Transportation
July 14, 2026
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Submission to Labour Canada on the Modernization of the Federal Labour Framework
May 22, 2026
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Response to Transport Canada’s discussion paper “Potential regulations to increase access to marine emergency services and improve response to pollution incidents”
April 17, 2026
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