ABSTRACT
Shipping is at the sharp end of international political and economic relations. In terms of history it is frequently thought of as a specifically national asset. Great Britain, after all, prided itself on the size of its merchant fleet and there is little doubt that the country was greatly aided by it during the period of imperial and commercial expansion. Furthermore it is unlikely that Britain could have survived two military confrontations with Germany this century without the significant merchant marine it then possessed. In terms of military and commercial strategic capability, a sizeable merchant fleet has always been a decided advantage and this remains true today.
