Role of shipping.

Although the international Marine cargo transport has the shortcomings of low speed and greater risk, it has become the main mode of transport in international trade due to its advantages such as large capacity, large volume, low freight and strong adaptability to goods, and the unique geographical conditions of the world. 80% ~ 90% of the total volume of import and export cargo transportation is carried out by ocean transportation. 

Due to the rise and development of container transportation, not only the freight transportation to the integration, rationalization direction, but also save the material and freight costs of goods packaging, reduce the loss of goods, ensure the quality of transportation, shorten the transportation time, thus reducing the transportation cost.

In China, freight expenditure generally accounts for about 10% of the total amount of foreign trade, especially the freight of bulk goods takes a larger proportion. If we make full use of international trade terms and strive for our side to send more ships in trade, we can not only save the payment of foreign exchange, but also strive for more foreign exchange income. In particular, we devote our shipping capacity to international shipping market, actively develop the transportation of third countries, and create foreign exchange income for our country. 

At present, all countries in the world, especially coastal developing countries, attach great importance to the establishment of their own ocean-going fleets and the development of maritime cargo transport. Some shipping developed countries, foreign exchange freight income has become an important pillar of the national economy of these countries.

Marine transportation is realized by the practice of nautical activities, which are based on the shipbuilding industry, navigation technology and skilled seafarers. Shipbuilding industry is a comprehensive industry, its development can also drive the development of iron and steel industry, ship equipment industry, electronic instrument industry, promote the improvement of the industrial structure of the whole country. In recent years, our country has gradually become a ship exporting country from the original ship importing country, and is stepping into the ranks of ship exporting power. 

Due to the continuous development of Chinese nautical technology, the dispatch of sailors has attracted the attention of all countries. With the development of ocean transportation, our ocean-going shipping fleet has entered among the top 10 in the world, which provides conditions for large-scale shipbreaking industry in the future. It not only provides cheap raw materials, energy saving and consumption of imported ore for our steel smelting plant, but also can export scrap steel for sale. It can be seen that the development of Marine transportation industry will not only improve the national industrial structure, but also improve the commodity structure in international trade.

Ocean-going fleets have always been used as logistical transport in wartime. The United States, the United Kingdom and other countries called the merchant fleet: "in addition to the land, sea, air and the fourth service", the former Soviet Union's merchant fleet was also called the "shadow fleet" by Western countries. Visible, it plays a role in the outcome of the war. Because maritime transportation occupies such an important position, all countries in the world attach great importance to maritime shipping, protect it through legislation, support and subsidise it financially, and give preferential treatment in terms of cargo.