The End of National Shipping Policy? A Historical Perspective on Shipping Policy in a Global Economy
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The End of National Shipping Policy? A Historical Perspective on Shipping Policy in a Global Economy GUNNAR K SLETMO Marketing Department, HEC, 3000 Cote Ste-Catherine Road, Montreal, PQ, Canada H3T 2A7. E-mail: [email protected]
National shipping policy has a long history and is firmly engraved in the economic and political psyche of many nations. This paper, which is centred on history rather than the future, asks whether globalisation implies the end of national shipping policy. While deregulation of world shipping started long before globalisation became a recognised force in trade and trade policies, globalisation will inevitably reinforce liberal trends in shipping. However, there are still many who argue that shipping is a `special case' and there are continued pressures towards a renewal of national shipping policies in many quarters. As a result, there is a need for continued vigilance and education not only of policy makers but of the broader public. There are some maritime areas that will continue to require government attention, most notably with respect to labour (eg training and certification), safety and environmental issues. At the same time, there are new needs brought about by significant changes in technology and corporate governance. In the years ahead, there will be a need to redefine maritime policy objectives and scope as well as to consider new institutional arrangements to provide for the realities of global logistics. International Journal of Maritime Economics (2001) 3, 333-350.
Keywords: Shipping policy; maritime policy; merchant marine; industrial policy; global logistics; globalisation.
G L O B A L I SA T I ON : T H E E N D O F N AT I O N A L S H I P P I N G P O L I C Y ? Globalisation is often said to be the triumph of markets over governments. It is the end of economic regulation by bureaucrats and the erasure of borders. Narrow
Gunnar K Sletmo The End of National Shipping Policy?
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nationalistic views have been replaced by a general admission that the world economy is not a zero-sum game. Thus, your gain is my gain as free movements of capital, goods, services, labour and knowledge provide the basis for a new global prosperity (see Ohmae, 1995). In this New World there is no room for national industrial policies1 and shipping is no exception. National shipping policy is dead ± or it should be. This portrait of globalisation, although simplified, does reflect the views of most economic writers. Many, if not most, corporate leaders view their responsibilities in a global context and act accordingly. Newspapers and electronic media present lengthy features on globalisation, and the number of recent books on the subject in English exceeds 500. The number of references to globalisation on the web stood at 435,000, at last count (Google, November 2000). Agencies like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organisation lend legitimacy to theories favouring globalisation. Interestingly though, many politicians appear to reject the trend towards highe
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