The links between the financial industry and maritime shipping are very old. Shippers have
a long tradition of interaction with the financial industry as funding was required to build ships
and to purchase trade cargo, while mitigating the risks related to shipping led to the creation of
the insurance industry (e.g. Lloyd’s of London in 1871). The traditional role of the financial
industry was a more passive one, providing capital and minimizing risk when needed. This
capital was often paid back once a voyage was completed and the cargo sold. Finance was used
to leverage the opportunities of international transportation. Yet, in the last decade this
relationship has become more acute because it was inverted. Indeed, transportation became a
mean to leverage financial opportunities for the following reasons: