“Free shipping” is a familiar promise to online shoppers; a small but powerful incentive that goods will arrive at no extra cost. But in the global economy, “free shipping” has a very different and far more consequential meaning. Not a mere convenience, it is what keeps the shelves stocked and the global economy moving by allowing effective maritime transport between the world’s continents.
Maritime transport is not just a service – it is the critical infrastructure underpinning the global economy and safeguarding food and energy security. It is why “freedom of navigation” constitutes one of the core prerequisites in the resilience of supply chains and global trade.
More than eighty percent of global trade is transported by sea, from electronics, clothing and cars to grain, metals, oil and gas. Without maritime trade, supply chains would fragment and the global economy as we know it would come to a sudden halt. Pragmatic cooperation and problem solving amongst diverse trading partners keeps these vital trade networks flowing.
Global shipping under strain
Recent events demonstrate how fragile our system of maritime trade can be. From the COVID-19 pandemic to the war in Ukraine, drought in the Panama Canal, and conflict in the Middle East, maritime supply chains have faced repeated disruptions that raise uncertainty and add friction to global supply chain efficiency.
Discriminatory trade measures reinforce these developments. Global shipping works best when rules are clear and consistent around the world. Uncertainty about future access to ports or routes can affect long-term commercial planning. When countries begin to pursue diverging approaches, regional initiatives or stalled multilateral processes weaken the coherence of the system. Fragmentation in rules leads directly to fragmentation in markets and ultimately to higher costs for businesses and consumers.
These are not episodic shocks; they are signals of a structural shift in the operating environment of global trade. Shipping routes are increasingly instruments of leverage and risk. Sovereignty, resilience and prosperity rely on partnerships and practical cooperation and coordination to preserve an open global trade system.
Further fracturing global supply chains is the expansion of the number of vessels engaging in operations that circumvent sanctions, an unregulated shadow fleet (see IMO Resolution A.1192(33)) of hundreds of ships operating outside of standard insurance, safety and transparency frameworks. This creates parallel systems within global shipping, increases risk, and bypasses environmental and safety standards, undermining trust and predictability in maritime markets. The result is a two-tier system, one governed by rules, the other by opacity, ultimately weakening both.
Protecting global trade starts with rules at sea
The answer to these challenges is not necessarily more rules nor to rely on a patchwork of unilateral actions, but rather better alignment of existing international rules. The foundation for stable and rules-based global shipping – and thus for global trade – is already in place. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provides a comprehensive legal framework governing activities at sea, including the rights of innocent and transit passage for ships. Furthermore, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is the central forum responsible for developing global standards to ensure freedom of navigation while maintaining safety, security and fair competition. Its strength lies in its universality. Geopolitical volatility negatively affects confidence and demand across economies and markets. No single country or supply-chain actor can address these challenges alone.
This global rules-based framework provides the predictability the sector depends on. It allows shipping companies to plan, invest and operate across oceans with a clear understanding of their rights and obligations. Crucially, it also creates a level playing field by subjecting all operators to common standards, regardless of which country’s flag a ship flies. When these rules are applied universally, competition is driven by efficiency, innovation and quality, not by regulatory evasion.
Defending freedom of navigation therefore requires a focused and coordinated response grounded in globally recognized rules. It is essential that trading partners work together to maintain network resilience, manage risks consistently, and prevent fragmentation from becoming embedded in global shipping networks when international trade rules are not functioning as intended. This cooperation and trust-building contributes to keeping markets open, competitive and resilient under stress.
First, existing international rules must be enforced consistently across jurisdictions. Uneven application distorts markets and ultimately weakens confidence in global shipping as a reliable backbone of international trade. Effective enforcement also depends on adequate transparency and information exchange between relevant authorities.
Secondly, political support for developing and upholding common standards is paramount. Strong international cooperation is not a constraint on sovereignty; it is a prerequisite for effective governance in an interconnected world. Consistency, transparency and pragmatic cooperation facilitate open, predictable, reliable, and non-discriminatory maritime shipping that serves the world.
Commitment to rules-based shipping and pragmatic cooperation will strengthen fair competition, protect global trade and support economic stability and foster prosperity. This will reduce volatility and reinforce confidence in global supply chains.
We call on all maritime nations to actively support and uphold the core principles governing shipping, from freedom of navigation to the international legal frameworks governed by multilateral institutions such as the IMO. We commit to work together to ensure a level playing field by applying rules more consistently and transparently across global shipping.
Sovereignty and resilience depend on cooperation, coordination and practical problem-solving among trusted partners in the world’s maritime supply chains. Allowing fragmentation to deepen, undermines the global rules-based maritime framework and increases the risk of disruptions at key maritime chokepoints. As the closure of the Strait of Hormuz demonstrates: When shipping supply chains fragment, the global economy fragments with it.