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The International Shipping Industry is responsible for the carriage of around 90% of world trade. Without shipping, intercontinental trade, the bulk transport of raw materials, and the import/export of affordable food and manufactured goods would simply not be possible. Here are some Facts on Global Shipping Industry. Shipping is Profitable The shipping industry is merely massive. Though reporting standards and fluctuating currency values make it impossible to hone in on exact numbers, the International Chamber of Shipping estimates that marine shippers transported over 7.7 billion tons of cargo in 2008 , generating roughly $380 billion in freight charges alone. Shipping is Amazingly Cheap Its the most affordable means of transport. For example, it’s cheaper to ship New Zealand tuna in Thailand and ship it back to New Zealand than it is to have the processing completed in New Zealand. Communication challenges Around 33% of ship crews in the world have no means of communication while they are on the open sea. Only 12% have any kind of internet access. Safety and Regulation Shipping is the safest and most environmentally caring form of commercial transport. Perhaps uniquely amongst industries involving physical risk, commitment to safety has long pervaded virtually all deep sea shipping operations. Shipping was amongst the very first industries to adopt widely implemented international safety standards. The Ships are Massive Up to 1,300 feet long and able to carry up to 199,744 tons of cargo, the world’s biggest container ships can hold 745 million bananas in as many as 18,000 containers, which comes out to just about one banana for every man woman and child in the entire European continent. The container ship’s engine is 1000 times more powerful than that of a family car. Ships cover astronomical distances On average, a container ship travels a distance equivalent to 75% of the way to the moon and back in a single year. Pirates In 2010, Somali pirates held 544 seafarers hostage. Every year, 2,000 seafarers die at sea, with more than two ships lost each day. In 2012, the attack rates on seafarers exceeded the rate of violent assaults in South Africa, the highest-crime country in the world. Sources: https://easyfreight.co.nz/blog/surprising-facts-worldwide-shipping-industry/ https://www.maritimeinfo.org/en/Why-Maritime/Shipping-Facts https://www.intlwhsegrp.com/blog/8-surprising-facts-about-the-shipping-industry/ https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/08/shipping-industry-bigger-you-can-imagine/312253/