Container Shipping Industry Celebrates National Maritime Day

NEW YORK, May 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The Container Shipping Information Service (CSIS) tomorrow celebrates the launch of National Maritime Day and calls on consumers to imagine life without the many everyday items made available to them by the container shipping industry.

In 1933, Congress decreed May 22 as National Maritime Day, an opportunity for Americans to recognize the numerous contributions of the American maritime industry, including international trade. The maritime industry facilitates trade, and as a result, plays a critical role in the U.S. economy. In fact, international trade accounts for 25 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Through the use of container ships, more than $5.5 billion worth of goods move in and out of U.S. ports everyday(1). In fact, the United States imported four times as many varieties of goods in 2002 as in 1972(2). Almost everything that consumers touch, from door handles, cutlery, and furniture to bicycles and television sets have at some point traveled in a container.

Ron Widdows, Chief Executive Officer of APL, a CSIS member line says: "The container shipping industry is pleased to celebrate National Maritime Day. The industry is relatively unknown and most people rarely give it a second thought. Yet, as a result of container shipping, consumers can enjoy a huge range of products from around the world and at prices that would scarcely have been conceivable in earlier times."

For more information on the benefits of container shipping, please visit the Container Shipping Information Service website, http://www.shipsandboxes.com

Notes to Editors

The Container Shipping Information Service (CSIS) was launched in January 2008 and comprises the largest 24 container shipping companies across the world.

The following container shipping companies comprise CSIS: Atlantic Container Line AB, China Shipping (Group) Company, CMA-CGM Group, COSCO, Crowley Maritime Corporation, CSAV (Compania Sud-Americana de Vapores S.A.), Evergreen Marine Corp, Hamburg Sudamerikanische Dampfschifffahrtsgesellschaft KG, Hanjin Shipping Co. Ltd., Hapag-Lloyd AG, Hyundai Merchant Marine Co., Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Maersk Line, Malaysia International Shipping Corporation (MISC), Mediterranean Shipping Co. S.A. (MSC), Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Neptune Orient Lines Ltd/APL, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK), Orient Overseas Container Line Ltd (OOCL), Pacific International Lines (Pte) Ltd, United Arab Shipping Co (SAG), Wan Hai Lines Ltd, Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp., Zim Integrated Shipping Service Ltd.

(1) American Association of Port Authorities

(2) U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration