ABSTRACT
The United States emerged from World War II as the world's dominant military and economic power. The international system that was established after World War II depended upon the ability of American military might to enforce its tenets. The American Bureau of Shipping, headquartered in New York, has continued as a major insurance classifier of world vessels. Innovative American corporate leaders realized that cargo and the handling of cargo was the key to ship design, and thus they promoted the containership which brought the worldwide maritime industry into the age of advanced technology. The international response has begun with a goal of stabilization and control of the technologically advanced, capital-intensive maritime environment. A review of the status of maritime conventions reveals the increasing impact of international agreements on the US maritime industries and on the leadership role of the United States in support for internationally accepted standards.
