SHIPPING INDUSTRY

IN GREECE

Greek shipping industry | December 2013 1

THE GREEK SHIPPING INDUSTRY

Economic Representation of Flanders c/o Embassy of Belgium

Sekeri 3 106 71 Athens

Greece

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INHOUD

1. Short content ............................................................................................................................. 3

2. GREEK SHIPPING AND THE ECONOMY ....................................................................................... 5

3. THE FACTS OF THE GREEK SHIPPING ......................................................................................... 7

4. MARITIME EDUCATION........................................................................................................... 9

5. MARITIME EXHIBITION “POSIDONIA” ........................................................................................ 9

6. APPENDIX I ............................................................................................................................... 11

7. APPENDIX II .............................................................................................................................. 73

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1. SHORT CONTENT

Greece is a maritime nation by tradition. Shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks and a key element of Greek economic activity since ancient times. Nowadays, Greece has the largest merchant fleet in the world and is of the largest contributors in shipping globally.

Greece’s shipping companies defy almost every stereotype that Greeks have been associated with these past years. They are ultra-competitive in a truly globalized market; their family-based structures are an indispensable source of strength rather than weakness; and they are unabashed proponents of the free market when it comes to the transcontinental sea trade, even while in Greece itself, most industries still struggle under the weight of over-regulation and barriers to competition.

The development and growth of the modern shipping companies in Greece starts with the end of the II World War. After the World War II and during the early 50's many Greek ship owners bought many ships from the US navy the so called Liberties, those where the ships that have been used as convoy ships during the war. At this time comes the time of the Great Greek ship owners like Onassis, Niarchos, Livanos, most of them from the island of Chios, the Goulandris and Epeirikos families from the island of Andros, all of them with hundreds of Tankers and Cargo ships.

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