Few transport systems have been more impacted by globalization than freight transportation.
Paradoxically, in a field dominated by passengers, freight remains fairly unnoticed by the general
public, albeit manufacturers and retailers are keenly aware of the benefits derived from efficient
distribution. In fact, the profit margin of many retailers and manufacturers is directly dependent
on efficient distribution strategies encompassing a wide array of global suppliers. As such, in the
last decades, international trade has systematically expanded at a rate faster than economic
growth, an outcome of an international division of the production and massive accumulation of
new manufacturing activities in developing countries. Maritime transportation is at the core of
global freight distribution in terms of its unparallel physical capacity and ability to carry freight
over long distances and at low costs. Aside from these well known characteristics, the maritime
industry has substantially changed in recent decades. From an industry that was always
international in its character, maritime transportation has become a truly global entity with routes
that spans across hemispheres, forwarding raw materials, parts and finished goods. In fact, it is
one of the most globalized industries around: