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[[Image:Container vessels.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Container ships, San Francisco.]]

[[Image:Container vessels.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Container ships, San Francisco.]]

'''Shipping''' is the transportation of goods and [[cargo]]. Over 90% of world trade is carried by the international shipping industry, and without shipping the import and export of goods on the scale necessary for the modern world would not be possible.<ref>''British Chamber of Shipping'' [http://www.british-shipping.org/index.htm British Shipping] Accessed July 12 2007</ref> The British Chamber of Shipping asserts that there are around 50,000 merchant ships trading internationally, transporting every kind of cargo, registered in over 150 nations, and manned by over a million seafarers of virtually every nationality.<ref>''British Chamber of Shipping'' op cit</ref>   

'''Shipping''' is the transportation of goods and [[cargo]]. Over 90% of world trade is carried by the international shipping industry, and without shipping the import and export of goods on the scale necessary for the modern world would not be possible.<ref>''British Chamber of Shipping'' [http://www.british-shipping.org/index.htm British Shipping] Accessed July 12 2007</ref>In 2003, the international shipping industry transported 6.2 billion tonnes of cargo.<ref>'''Clarkson Research Studies''' ''The Tramp Shipping

Market''[http://www.marisec.org/ClarksonReportFinalDraft.pdf] Accessed July 12 2007</ref> The British Chamber of Shipping asserts that there are around 50,000 merchant ships trading internationally, transporting every kind of cargo, registered in over 150 nations, and manned by over a million seafarers of virtually every nationality.<ref>''British Chamber of Shipping'' op cit</ref>   

==Types of vessel in the world merchant fleet==

==Types of vessel in the world merchant fleet==

*Combination Passenger and Cargo Ships - These must have a capacity for 13 or more passengers.<ref>U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration ''Ships'' [http://www.marad.dot.gov/publications/glossary/glossary.html Glossary] Accessed July 12 2007</ref>

*Combination Passenger and Cargo Ships - These must have a capacity for 13 or more passengers.<ref>U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration ''Ships'' [http://www.marad.dot.gov/publications/glossary/glossary.html Glossary] Accessed July 12 2007</ref>

*Specialist vessels - These include anchor handling and supply vessels for the offshore oil industry, salvage tugs, ice breakers and research vessels.

*Specialist vessels - These include anchor handling and supply vessels for the offshore oil industry, salvage tugs, ice breakers and research vessels.

==References==

==References==

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[[Category:Shipping terms]]

[[Category:Shipping terms]]