ABSTRACT
This chapter shows that sovereignty, economic development and national security are the basis for adopting a maritime cabotage law in many countries. It suggests that the ambit of maritime cabotage law will continue to expands, particularly in the international domain. This will require developing a comprehensive framework that addresses the various concerns that cause uncertainty and make the concept of maritime cabotage a complex matter. The concept of international maritime cabotage relay is based on the notion that a foreign vessel may be permitted to load and discharge cargo in more than one port in a country. The framework for international maritime cabotage relay compromises between the outright protectionist and liberal maritime cabotage approaches. The international relay approach is driven by the commercial impact it has on the domestic shipping sector of a country. More than 500,000 international containers that could have qualified under the international relay scheme were moved by road and rail services in 2012.
