Deep Sea Shipping

The deep sea shipping industry in the US includes about 500 companies with combined annual revenue of nearly $9 billion. Major carriers include Crowley, Horizon Lines, APL, and Overseas Shipholding Group. The industry is highly concentrated: the 50 largest companies account for nearly 95 percent of industry revenue.

Deep sea shipping is the transport of cargo to and from foreign ports. US coastal and Great Lakes shipping and cruise ship operations are covered in separate industry profiles.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is driven by macroeconomic trends in global imports and exports. The profitability of individual companies depends on efficient operations and a good safety record. Large companies have advantages in fleet size and port access. Small companies can compete effectively by chartering services out of smaller ports and transporting unusual cargo. Average annual revenue per worker for a typical company is nearly $500,000.

The global shipping industry transports over 90 percent of the world's total commerce, according to the International Shipping Federation (ISF). Deep sea shipping is a highly competitive industry; however, competition from other forms of transportation is limited.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Deep sea shipping services include international freight transportation (95 percent of industry revenue) and cargo loading and unloading, known in the industry as stevedoring (4 percent).

The US is the world's largest importer and exporter, shipping 1.2 billion metric tons of cargo annually. Worldwide, over 30,000 large, privately owned vessels transport merchandise across oceans. Less than ...