Main Role Of Maritime Transport

Ocean freight is a major mode of international trade transportation.

While international ocean freight has drawbacks such as lower speed and higher risk, its advantages-large throughput, high capacity, low freight rates, and adaptability to various goods-combined with unique global geographical conditions, make it a primary mode of transportation in international trade. 80%–90% of my country's total import and export cargo transportation is conducted by sea. The rise and development of container shipping has not only led to more centralized and rationalized cargo transportation but also saved on packaging materials and handling costs, reduced cargo damage and discrepancies, ensured transportation quality, and shortened transit time, thereby lowering transportation costs.

Ocean freight is an important channel for the country to save foreign exchange payments and increase foreign exchange earnings.

In my country, freight expenditures generally account for about 10% of the total import and export volume, especially for bulk commodities. By fully utilizing international trade terms and securing more shipping services from Chinese suppliers, not only can foreign exchange payments be saved, but more foreign exchange earnings can also be earned. In particular, my country is investing its shipping capacity in the international shipping market, actively developing transportation to third countries, and generating foreign exchange earnings for the nation. Countries worldwide, especially developing coastal nations, attach great importance to building their own ocean-going fleets and developing maritime cargo transportation. In some developed shipping countries, foreign exchange freight revenue has become a crucial pillar of their national economies.

Developing the maritime transport industry is conducive to improving the country's industrial structure and the structure of its international trade exports.

Maritime transport relies on the practice of navigation, which is based on shipbuilding, navigation technology, and skilled seafarers. The shipbuilding industry is a comprehensive industry; its development can drive the development of the steel industry, ship equipment industry, and electronic instrumentation industry, promoting the improvement of the entire country's industrial structure. my country has gradually transformed from a ship importer to a ship exporter in recent years and is moving towards becoming a major ship exporter. Due to the continuous development of my country's navigation technology, the overseas deployment of seafarers has attracted global attention. The development of the maritime transport industry has propelled my country's ocean-going fleet into the world's top 10, providing conditions for large-scale shipbreaking in the future. This not only provides cheap raw materials for my country's steel mills, saving energy and reducing the consumption of imported ore, but also allows for the export of scrap steel. Therefore, the development of the maritime transport industry not only improves the national industrial structure but also the commodity structure in international trade.

The maritime transport fleet is an important reserve force for national defense.

Historically, ocean-going transport fleets have been used as logistical transport tools during wartime. The United States and Britain refer to merchant fleets as the "fourth branch of the armed forces," and the Soviet Union's merchant fleet was called the "shadow fleet" by Western countries. This demonstrates its crucial role in determining victory or defeat in war. Because of the vital position of maritime transport, countries worldwide attach great importance to maritime shipping, protecting it through legislation, providing financial support and subsidies, and offering preferential treatment in cargo transport.